Serendipity expert, Dr Stephann Makri of University College London, believes that we can all improve our chances of being lucky ourselves. By simply making a few minor alterations to our daily schedule and routine, we could open up dozens of new doors that will lead to exciting opportunities, lasting friendships, and the most fantastic chain of events.
1 Vary your routine
If you always walk the same route to work, do your shopping at the same supermarket, have Friday night drinks in the same pub and are yet to meet the one perhaps a slight change in routine is in order. You don’t need to do anything drastic like join a sky-diving club or take up wrestling in your spare time; simple changes like walking your dog half an hour earlier than usual could increase your chances of having that special serendipitous encounter.
2 Channel your inner Alice
Unlucky people are often more stressed and anxious because they’re so busy looking for something else that they fail to see the opportunities in front of them. To be luckier in life you need to tune into your Alice in Wonderland-like curiosity to start noticing everything that’s going on around you. Next time you’re strolling down the high street keep you phone in your pocket and let your eyes flicker all around you. You never know, the manager of that shop that’s just opened may end up being your husband.
3 Switch off
Give yourself a little digital detox. One in ten of us admit to being addicted to our smart phones and 75 per cent of 25-29 years sleep next to their phone too. When we are constantly so attached to these digital devices we are leaving little time to switch off from the stresses of every day life and be more innovative in our search for luck.
4 Seize every opportunity
If you’re offered the chance to do something new and exciting then take it without hesitation. If you get seated next to a stranger at a dinner party, make every effort to get talking to them – you never know what their job might be, who they might know or whether they’re hiring for your dream role.
5 Relax your boundaries
All too often we shut certain people out without a second thought simply because they’re not our ‘type’. If everyone followed that rule then we would all only ever talk to people that were similar to ourselves and how boring would that be? Make it your mission next time you go to an event or a party where you don’t know everyone to talk to someone completely new. To make things even more interesting, pick a colour before you get there and make it your mission to talk to every person in the room wearing that colour – just don’t choose black or you’ll be there all night.
6 Seek virtual serendipity
Become more curious and connect with new people online as well as in your real life. Following new people on Twitter, connecting with people on LinkedIn and reading a new blog that you wouldn’t normally bother with could lead to all sorts of exciting events in the future.