It’s a NEW YEAR!

Is this going to be your lucky year?
Is this year going to be your best year so far?
Are you going to reach new heights and depths, new horizons and frontiers in your life?

Have you ever noticed…

Have you ever noticed that folks usually think about luck in one of two ways?

Luck is totally random and something that happens TO you.
Luck is something that you prepare for and you work for… even make happen in your life.

Which one of those do you believe? If it’s #1, you are probably an unlucky person. If it’s #2, you are probably a lucky person.

What do you think of…

When you think of lucky people, who comes to mind? Most often it’s people who have won the lottery, right? Or maybe even someone who has been discovered by a producer and gets a contract for a record album or acting gig.

It is true that Lady Luck shines brightly upon some and not so brightly upon others. Let’s look beyond the moment of “luck”. What was going on before the luck happened? In order to win the lottery, you must play the lottery. What does that typically involve? A LOT of LOSING!! Those lucky “winners” have had to endure months, years, and maybe even decades of losing in order to get lucky. They’ve invested some time and definitely a good deal of money in being “lucky.”

How about the lucky “overnight success?” They were luckily “discovered” by someone of influence in their industry. They have to have some measure of talent that catches the eyes and ears of the producer, right? They probably have practiced and honed their talents for months, years, and maybe even decades.

What’s the lesson in this?

Unless you are prepared for her, lady luck may sneak right past you without you even noticing her. John McKay, the Coach of the National Champion USC Football team once said,

“If you are prepared for luck, you can take advantage of it. If you are not, it will usually pass you by.”

Is this year going to be the same as last year? … and the year before that? … and the year before that? Sadly, it will probably be pretty close unless… unless you spend some time, money, and effort on improving YOU!

A ten-year scientific study into the nature of luck has revealed that, to a large extent, people make their own good and bad fortune. The results also show that it is possible to enhance the amount of luck that people encounter in their lives.

– Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor, ©2003

What weather do you bring?

Are you the type of person that others want to be around?
Do you bring energy to the rooms that you walk into?
Do you bring sunshine and joy to those you interact with?
Are you someone whom YOU would stop what you’re doing to be around?

So many folks react to the weather. If it’s cloudy and gray, they bring doom and gloom to others. If it’s rainy and stormy, they bring turbulence and controversy. If it’s snowy and cold, they are frigid and withdrawn. If Lady Luck shows up where you are, would she want to stop and give you her blessings? She may be right in front of you on those days, but you have let the weather of the current moment or situation determine the outcome.

Thermometer or Thermostat?

You must improve YOU if you want to be a luckier person. You must become a better SELF-LEADER and control the “weather” within you to best adjust the weather around you. LEAD YOURSELF FIRST!! Bring energy (sunshine) and warmth to your interactions with others. Lift them up and leave them feeling better about themselves for interacting with you.

How do you do that?

First, be the thermometer and take the temperature in the room. If the temperature is appropriate to accomplish the task at hand, don’t mess with it. If the temperature needs to be adjusted to ensure peak performance, be the thermostat.

The perspective that you take on any given situation is fluid – not fixed. There is no ONE WAY to see reality. Let’s look at a study that Richard Wiseman did:

I wondered whether lucky people might be using counter-factual thinking to soften the emotional impact of the ill fortune that they experienced in their lives. To find out, I decided to present lucky and unlucky people with some unlucky scenarios and see how they reacted. I asked lucky and unlucky people to imagine that they were waiting to be served in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters the bank, fires a shot, and the bullet hits them in the arm. Would this event be lucky or unlucky?

Unlucky people tended to say that this would be enormously unlucky and it would be just their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery.

In contrast, lucky people viewed the scenario as being far luckier, and often spontaneously commented on how the situation could have been far worse. As one lucky participant commented, “It’s lucky because you could have been shot in the head – also, you could sell your story to the newspapers and make some money.”
<via http://www.richardwiseman.com/resources/The_Luck_Factor.pdf)

Changing Your Perspectives

How are you looking at the world? When you react to the circumstances, how many perspectives are you reviewing BEFORE you respond? Many folks only use ONE! Many folks only follow the primary pattern that they have developed over their lifetime. That pattern may have become encoded in your brain when you were 5 years old. Now, every time a similar circumstance comes up, you act like the 5-year-old you.

It’s time to increase your luck by increasing the perspectives that you consider when looking at the situation or circumstances.

Again, from Richard Wiseman:

After ten years of scientific research my work has revealed a radically new way of looking at luck and the vital role that plays in our lives. It demonstrates that much of the good and bad fortune we encounter is a result of our thoughts and behavior. More important, it represents the potential for change, and has produced that most elusive of holy grails – an effective way of increasing the luck people experience in their daily lives.

Steps to INCREASING YOUR LUCK:

Take some time for SELF-REFLECTION. It only takes a minute or two. What “weather” are you bringing into the room? Look back on your day and make note of your WINS! What were you doing when you felt your best… when you were performing at your best?
Grow your SELF-AWARENESS. Make a conscious effort to notice situations that are similar to your BEST. Find more opportunities to put yourself in a position that will lead to more WINS.
Focus on SELF-LEADERSHIP. Know when to be the thermometer and when to be the thermostat? Become an expert at shifting to your best perspectives. You know… those perspectives that lead to your wins and your best performance.
Increase your SELF-TRUST. When you are aware of the circumstances where you are at your best AND you put yourself in those situations and those mental perspectives, you will confidently and boldly take action on those best perspectives. As you continue to do the things that you promise yourself you will do, lady luck will join you!

Interested in learning more about SELF-LEADERSHIP and your best thinking?

Is this your Lucky Year? Learn How To Increase Your LQ – Your Luck Quotient