Make Your Own Luck by Optimizing For It

Luck isn't something you get. Luck is something that happens to you. To be precise, luck is when something favourable that you can't predict happens to you. It feels random. Chaotic. Out of your hands. But what if you could influence it? What if you could tilt the odds in your favour, so much so that it no longer feels like luck—but destiny? You can't control what happens to you. But you can optimize for it. You can make yourself the type of person who is luckier by design. Let’s break it down. The 4 Types of Luck In 1973, Dr. James Austin outlined four types of luck in his book Chase, Chance, and Creativity. He called it chance. Arranged by the degree of influence you have over them: Blind Luck Luck from Motion Luck from Preparation Luck from Your Uniqueness Let’s explore each. 1. Blind Luck This is pure dumb luck. The good fortune that happens at random with zero effort on your part. Winning the lottery. Stumbling upon $100 on the street. Being born into a wealthy family. It’s the default state of luck—completely out of your hands. Relying on blind luck is like throwing darts blindfolded, hoping to hit a bullseye. It’s a game of chance, not choice. 2. Luck From Motion (Blind Luck + Movement) “Keep on going, and chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.” —Charles Kettering In luck from motion, you’re not sitting idle. You’re moving, taking action, and stirring the pot. With sheer effort, energy, and hustle, you create more random collisions with opportunities. Motion makes you luckier. Examples: They say only 1 in 100 startups succeeds. Well, building a startup 100 times will increase your chances of success. Meeting new people at events makes it more likely you’ll meet the right person by chance. Writing 100 cold emails might land you a life-changing opportunity. Lesson: Luck rewards those who move. Even if it feels chaotic, action is better than inaction. Distinguish motion from progress later; you can’t make progress without motion. Stir the pot enough, and you’ll run out of bad luck. 3. Luck From Preparation (Blind Luck + Camouflage) “Chance favors the prepared mind.” —Louis Pasteur Luck from preparation is when opportunity meets readiness. This kind of luck looks random to outsiders, but it’s not. It’s camouflaged by years of effort, expertise, and discernment. Why? Because you’ve trained yourself to spot opportunities others overlook. Examples: A niche investor that has studied the market can spot undervalued stocks. A scientist makes a breakthrough from receptiveness to anomalies in their research. (like Alexander Flemming). A writer sees a viral idea where others see noise because they’ve studied trends for years. Luck, here, favors the expert. 4. Luck From Your Uniqueness (Blind Luck + Uniqueness) This is where luck finds you. This is destiny. When you cultivate a unique personality & skillset, you attract luck that only you could intercept. It’s like being a magnet for opportunities because of who you are and how you behave. Examples: Your unique expertise lands you an opportunity nobody else could take. Your quirky hobby unlocks an unconventional solution to a complex problem. Your authentic brand attracts people and opportunities that align with you. “We make our fortunes, and we call them fate.” —Benjamin Disraeli This kind of luck doesn’t look like luck. It looks like the inevitable result of who you’ve become. It’s your destiny. The Luck Equation Here’s the big idea: The more you expose yourself to luck, the luckier you become. This is increasing your luck surface area. You do this by combining action (motion) and uniqueness (preparation + identity). Here’s how: 1. Be in Motion Start more projects, even if they fail. Meet new people, even if it’s awkward. Share your work publicly—online or offline. Say yes to opportunities that push you outside your comfort zone. When given two options, pick the one with the most potential motion luck When you move, you collide with luck more often. 2. Sharpen Your Expertise Luck rewards the prepared. Become so good they can’t ignore you. Study your craft relentlessly. Build deep domain knowledge in your field. Be receptive to patterns and anomalies others miss. Look for things you can control, even if it's in something that people say is random When luck knocks, you’ll have the key to the door. The world is a very efficient place. There's a high chance someone has already dug a place for something and exploited it. You increase your chances by digging something no one has dug before. Deeper than anyone will ever dig. 3. Cultivate Your Uniqueness Your quirks, experiences, and perspective are your superpowers. Own them. Develop a unique skill stack Pursue your niche interests—even if they seem irrelevant. Share your authentic self—it attracts like-minded people and opportunities. When you’re unmistakably you, the right luck finds you. Escape Competition through Authenticity You're unlikely to be the best at a sport that's already named. If there are other people that do it, you can't be the best without an unfair advantage. You can't be in the top 1% in basketball if you don't have enough skills and opportunities and you're 4 feet tall. Ask yourself, What do you have that others don't? There are people that have been doing X since they were 5 years old, and that's all they've been doing till date. Would you sacrifice everything else you care more about in your life and still not beat them? Somehow, if you're in the top 20% best at X, top 10% best at Y, and top 5% best at Z, when there's an intersection, you can be the best at XYZ. Maybe not the best engineer or the best designer. Maybe not the best marketer or the best physicist. But the best (& only) Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, MrBeast or [put your name here]. Some unique blend of knowledge & traits that's valuable and nobody ekse has. You will find it by following your obsessions and passions. Then connect dots to hit all the important birds in your life (health, wealth, relationships). Expose yourself to as much mindful experience as possible. The more dots on the paper, the easier it is to get a straight line that connects many important dots. Become the best at what you do; keep redefining what you do until this is true. Excercise: List your top 5 strengths, quirks, and hobbies. Then, think about intersections where these traits combine into something rare. 4. Build Relationships Luck often comes through people. Network with curiosity, not just ambition. Help others without expecting anything in return. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you. The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your luck. 5. Invest in Yourself One of the best ways to get rid of randomness is to invest in yourself. If you invest in yourself, you control the outcome. You own the failures, and you own the growth. Build skills that compound over time. Develop mental and physical fitness. Focus on becoming the kind of person who creates success, not stumbles into it. You don’t want a billion dollars. You want to become the kind of person who can make a billion dollars. 6. Optimize for Synergy Align everything you do toward a singular goal. Health: Be fit enough for your goals. Wealth: Create assets that work for you. Happiness: Find clarity and peace in your pursuit. When your efforts synergize, every action compounds. Case Study: Sylvia Imagine Sylvia’s goal is to cure cancer. But today, she’s studying medicine and barely making ends meet. Most people in her position would: Take up odd jobs (e.g., cake baking, hair dressing, etc.) to survive. Instead, Sylvia optimizes for synergy: She gets a job at a hospital—even if it’s cleaning floors. There’s synergy. She surrounds herself with doctors and researchers. She studies cancer in her spare time, builds a personal brand, and shares her learnings online. By aligning her work, learning, and goals, Sylvia increases her luck surface area. Opportunities naturally find her. 7. Prioritize Curiosity Over Analysis: A curious mind beats an analytical one any day. If you want to be more intelligent, hone your curiousity more than you hone your analysis. Curious people are more likely to find building blocks to craft solutions. Someone who tries to get by on logic and pure intellectual effort would be less lucky. Final Thoughts: Turn Luck Into Destiny Luck isn’t a mystical force you have no control over. It’s a byproduct of motion, preparation, and uniqueness. Move more. Prepare relentlessly. Own who you are. If you control the inputs, the outputs are no longer luck—they’re destiny. The luckiest people aren’t the ones who rely on luck. They’re the ones who create it. This week, write down three ways you can increase your luck surface area. Maybe it’s starting that side project, reaching out to someone new, or finally diving deep into that niche you love. Luck rewards those who move—so start moving today. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://crive.substack.com, Enjoy the rest of your day. ~Praise Luck isn't something you get. Luck is something that happens to you. To be precise, luck is when something favourable that you can't predict happens to you. It feels random. Chaotic. Out of your hands. But what if you could influence it? What if you could tilt the odds in your favour, so much so that it no longer feels like luck—but destiny? You can't control what happens to you. But you can optimize for it. You can make yourself the type of person who is luckier by design . can luckier by design Let’s break it down. The 4 Types of Luck In 1973, Dr. James Austin outlined four types of luck in his book Chase, Chance, and Creativity. He called it chance. Arranged by the degree of influence you have over them: Chase, Chance, and Creativity. Blind Luck Luck from Motion Luck from Preparation Luck from Your Uniqueness Blind Luck Blind Luck Luck from Motion Luck from Motion Luck from Preparation Luck from Preparation Luck from Your Uniqueness Luck from Your Uniqueness Let’s explore each. 1. Blind Luck This is pure dumb luck. The good fortune that happens at random with zero effort on your part. Winning the lottery. Stumbling upon $100 on the street. Being born into a wealthy family. Winning the lottery. Stumbling upon $100 on the street. Being born into a wealthy family. It’s the default state of luck—completely out of your hands. Relying on blind luck is like throwing darts blindfolded, hoping to hit a bullseye. It’s a game of chance , not choice . chance choice 2. Luck From Motion (Blind Luck + Movement) (Blind Luck + Movement) “Keep on going, and chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.” —Charles Kettering “Keep on going, and chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.” —Charles Kettering In luck from motion, you’re not sitting idle. You’re moving, taking action, and stirring the pot. With sheer effort, energy, and hustle, you create more random collisions with opportunities. random collisions Motion makes you luckier. Examples: Examples: They say only 1 in 100 startups succeeds. Well, building a startup 100 times will increase your chances of success. Meeting new people at events makes it more likely you’ll meet the right person by chance. Writing 100 cold emails might land you a life-changing opportunity. They say only 1 in 100 startups succeeds. Well, building a startup 100 times will increase your chances of success. Meeting new people at events makes it more likely you’ll meet the right person by chance. right Writing 100 cold emails might land you a life-changing opportunity. Lesson: Luck rewards those who move. Even if it feels chaotic, action is better than inaction . Distinguish motion from progress later; you can’t make progress without motion. Lesson: Luck rewards those who move. action is better than inaction Stir the pot enough, and you’ll run out of bad luck. Stir the pot enough, and you’ll run out of bad luck. Stir the pot enough, and you’ll run out of bad luck. 3. Luck From Preparation (Blind Luck + Camouflage) (Blind Luck + Camouflage) “Chance favors the prepared mind.” —Louis Pasteur “Chance favors the prepared mind.” —Louis Pasteur Luck from preparation is when opportunity meets readiness . This kind of luck looks random to outsiders, but it’s not. It’s camouflaged by years of effort, expertise, and discernment. opportunity meets readiness camouflaged Why? Because you’ve trained yourself to spot opportunities others overlook. Why? Examples: Examples: A niche investor that has studied the market can spot undervalued stocks. A scientist makes a breakthrough from receptiveness to anomalies in their research. (like Alexander Flemming). A writer sees a viral idea where others see noise because they’ve studied trends for years. A niche investor that has studied the market can spot undervalued stocks. A scientist makes a breakthrough from receptiveness to anomalies in their research. (like Alexander Flemming). A writer sees a viral idea where others see noise because they’ve studied trends for years. Luck, here, favors the expert . expert 4. Luck From Your Uniqueness (Blind Luck + Uniqueness) (Blind Luck + Uniqueness) This is where luck finds you . This is destiny . you destiny When you cultivate a unique personality & skillset, you attract luck that only you could intercept. It’s like being a magnet for opportunities because of who you are and how you behave . who you are how you behave Examples: Examples: Your unique expertise lands you an opportunity nobody else could take. Your quirky hobby unlocks an unconventional solution to a complex problem. Your authentic brand attracts people and opportunities that align with you. Your unique expertise lands you an opportunity nobody else could take. Your quirky hobby unlocks an unconventional solution to a complex problem. Your authentic brand attracts people and opportunities that align with you. “We make our fortunes, and we call them fate.” —Benjamin Disraeli “We make our fortunes, and we call them fate.” —Benjamin Disraeli “We make our fortunes, and we call them fate.” This kind of luck doesn’t look like luck. It looks like the inevitable result of who you’ve become. inevitable result It’s your destiny. The Luck Equation Here’s the big idea: The more you expose yourself to luck, the luckier you become. The more you expose yourself to luck, the luckier you become. The more you expose yourself to luck, the luckier you become. This is increasing your luck surface area . You do this by combining action (motion) and uniqueness (preparation + identity). luck surface area action uniqueness Here’s how: 1. Be in Motion Start more projects, even if they fail. Meet new people, even if it’s awkward. Share your work publicly—online or offline. Say yes to opportunities that push you outside your comfort zone. When given two options, pick the one with the most potential motion luck Start more projects, even if they fail. Meet new people, even if it’s awkward. Share your work publicly—online or offline. Say yes to opportunities that push you outside your comfort zone. yes When given two options, pick the one with the most potential motion luck When you move, you collide with luck more often. 2. Sharpen Your Expertise Luck rewards the prepared. Become so good they can’t ignore you . so good they can’t ignore you Study your craft relentlessly. Build deep domain knowledge in your field. Be receptive to patterns and anomalies others miss. Look for things you can control, even if it's in something that people say is random Study your craft relentlessly. Build deep domain knowledge in your field. Be receptive to patterns and anomalies others miss. Look for things you can control, even if it's in something that people say is random When luck knocks, you’ll have the key to the door. The world is a very efficient place. There's a high chance someone has already dug a place for something and exploited it. You increase your chances by digging something no one has dug before. Deeper than anyone will ever dig. 3. Cultivate Your Uniqueness Your quirks, experiences, and perspective are your superpowers . Own them. superpowers Develop a unique skill stack Pursue your niche interests—even if they seem irrelevant. Share your authentic self—it attracts like-minded people and opportunities. Develop a unique skill stack Pursue your niche interests—even if they seem irrelevant. Share your authentic self—it attracts like-minded people and opportunities. When you’re unmistakably you , the right luck finds you. you Escape Competition through Authenticity Escape Competition through Authenticity You're unlikely to be the best at a sport that's already named. If there are other people that do it, you can't be the best without an unfair advantage. You can't be in the top 1% in basketball if you don't have enough skills and opportunities and you're 4 feet tall. Ask yourself, What do you have that others don't? There are people that have been doing X since they were 5 years old, and that's all they've been doing till date. Would you sacrifice everything else you care more about in your life and still not beat them? Somehow, if you're in the top 20% best at X, top 10% best at Y, and top 5% best at Z, when there's an intersection, you can be the best at XYZ. Maybe not the best engineer or the best designer. Maybe not the best marketer or the best physicist. But the best (& only) Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, MrBeast or [put your name here]. Some unique blend of knowledge & traits that's valuable and nobody ekse has. You will find it by following your obsessions and passions. Then connect dots to hit all the important birds in your life (health, wealth, relationships). Expose yourself to as much mindful experience as possible. The more dots on the paper, the easier it is to get a straight line that connects many important dots. Become the best at what you do; keep redefining what you do until this is true. Become the best at what you do; keep redefining what you do until this is true. Excercise: List your top 5 strengths, quirks, and hobbies. Then, think about intersections where these traits combine into something rare. List your top 5 strengths, quirks, and hobbies. Then, think about intersections where these traits combine into something rare. 4. Build Relationships Luck often comes through people. Network with curiosity, not just ambition. Help others without expecting anything in return. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you. Network with curiosity, not just ambition. Help others without expecting anything in return. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you. The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your luck. The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your luck. 5. Invest in Yourself One of the best ways to get rid of randomness is to invest in yourself . If you invest in yourself , you control the outcome. You own the failures, and you own the growth. invest in yourself yourself Build skills that compound over time. Develop mental and physical fitness. Focus on becoming the kind of person who creates success, not stumbles into it. Build skills that compound over time. Develop mental and physical fitness. Focus on becoming the kind of person who creates success, not stumbles into it. creates You don’t want a billion dollars. You want to become the kind of person who can make a billion dollars. You don’t want a billion dollars. You want to become the kind of person who can make a billion dollars. You don’t want a billion dollars. You want to become the kind of person who can make a billion dollars. 6. Optimize for Synergy Align everything you do toward a singular goal. Health: Be fit enough for your goals. Wealth: Create assets that work for you. Happiness: Find clarity and peace in your pursuit. Health : Be fit enough for your goals. Health Wealth : Create assets that work for you. Wealth Happiness : Find clarity and peace in your pursuit. Happiness When your efforts synergize, every action compounds. Case Study: Sylvia Case Study: Sylvia Imagine Sylvia’s goal is to cure cancer. But today, she’s studying medicine and barely making ends meet. Most people in her position would: Take up odd jobs (e.g., cake baking, hair dressing, etc.) to survive. Take up odd jobs (e.g., cake baking, hair dressing, etc.) to survive. Instead, Sylvia optimizes for synergy : optimizes for synergy She gets a job at a hospital—even if it’s cleaning floors. There’s synergy. She surrounds herself with doctors and researchers. She studies cancer in her spare time, builds a personal brand, and shares her learnings online. She gets a job at a hospital—even if it’s cleaning floors. There’s synergy. She surrounds herself with doctors and researchers. She studies cancer in her spare time, builds a personal brand, and shares her learnings online. By aligning her work, learning, and goals, Sylvia increases her luck surface area . Opportunities naturally find her. luck surface area 7. Prioritize Curiosity Over Analysis: A curious mind beats an analytical one any day. If you want to be more intelligent, hone your curiousity more than you hone your analysis. Curious people are more likely to find building blocks to craft solutions. Someone who tries to get by on logic and pure intellectual effort would be less lucky. Final Thoughts: Turn Luck Into Destiny Luck isn’t a mystical force you have no control over. It’s a byproduct of motion , preparation , and uniqueness . motion preparation uniqueness Move more. Prepare relentlessly. Own who you are. Move more. Move more. Prepare relentlessly. Prepare relentlessly. Own who you are. Own who you are. If you control the inputs, the outputs are no longer luck—they’re destiny. The luckiest people aren’t the ones who rely on luck. They’re the ones who create it. This week, write down three ways you can increase your luck surface area. Maybe it’s starting that side project, reaching out to someone new, or finally diving deep into that niche you love. Luck rewards those who move—so start moving today. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://crive.substack.com, Enjoy the rest of your day. ~Praise