What is the Nature of Luck?

I was always wondering: why are some people so lucky in life? They are neither geniuses nor work that hard. Yet they always find themselves in the right place at the right moment.

They gather the right people around them, embark on the best projects, or get the best jobs.

Now I think I know.

Yesterday I talked to a friend who is now busy with his new project, just preparing for a market launch. If you are a budding entrepreneur, a market launch of a new product means that you have to play very many roles at a time.

You manage a team of people, monitor their progress, and motivate them. At the same time, you look for investors and take care of the public appearance of the project. And you present, present, and then present again.

It is easy to break under stress or work yourself to death.

Indeed, even though this friend of mine was smiling, as usual, it was quite clear to me that he was physically exhausted. And, the project also felt a bit stuck at this point.

He also asked me how I was ever since we met last time in June. That is the point when I realized how many different things have happened in the meantime.

I first went to a conference in Rome, where I realized that there is a huge market gap.

So, I walked into the Chamber of Commerce and registered a company right after coming back to the Netherlands. I also got engaged in some promising scientific projects here and there only because I was invited. And, the foundation I started in November last year, all of a sudden got the ANBI status.

Why Did I Start Getting Lucky All Of a Sudden?

Altogether, it was quite a journey. I also spent quite a substantial amount of time partying, chilling and making new friends this summer. And then it came to my mind: when did I, all of a sudden, start appearing in the right places at the right times?

It used to be the other way around: I always considered myself rather unlucky, even doomed at times. I always had that itchy feeling. I needed to work double hard to get the same results as other people around me.

And now, I slowly start feeling that I am learning how to navigate between people.

Of course, this is not rocket science, and there will always be hiccups and misunderstandings. Still, I made major progress in this area.

I was thinking about why this is so. I think I improved because I have finally let my intuition speak. According to Dane & Pratt (2007), published in the Academy of Management Review, intuitive judgments draw on rapid, nonconscious pattern recognition built from prior experience, and can meaningfully improve decision quality alongside deliberate analysis.

Everyone has some general intuition. Some people naturally have more intuition than others but it is an integral part of human nature.

The problem is, when you are worried, stressed, and chronically overworked. You no longer hear this weak voice of intuition speaking somewhere in the back of your head.

Why Does Self-Care Matter So Much for Success?

You stop seeing opportunities. You overlook the fact that you simply do not click with certain people and it would simply be better to go separate ways.

80% of life success depends on making the right decisions about how and with whom to spend your time. Only the remaining 20% depends on how well you execute these decisions.

When I was an undergrad, and then a graduate student, I had a habit to sleep less than necessary and fill my stomach with coffee fifteen times a day. I also kept myself busy with a lot of unproductive and unnecessary meetings, and with the accompaniment of some toxic people. Now I just have my boundaries.

How Do You Set Better Boundaries?

When tired, I just go to sleep. When I feel bad around someone, I leave. When I feel out of energy, I go to a spa.

Indeed, according to Walker and Stickgold (2004), sleep is essential for consolidating what we learn during the day.

I am trying not to put any unnecessary pressure and not to work myself to the limits. And, I started seeing all these little opportunities and life hacks I used to notoriously overlook before. I started recognizing these little signs that the project might or might not work, and just following that voice of intuition.

Sometimes the clues you get are as small as some key phrase being said in the other corner of the room. This is something your ear will pick up on only when you are perfectly rested. Notably, according to Granovetter (1973), such valuable clues most often arrive through weak ties rather than close friends.

The bottom line is: that keeping the right mental hygiene is the key, as this is the only way to have good communication with your intuition. According to Killgore (2010), published in Progress in Brain Research, insufficient sleep measurably slows reaction time, increases attentional lapses, and impairs executive functioning and judgment. 

This is such a simple truth that I cannot believe it took me 33 years to realize. But, late than later!