Look at this study: psychologist Richard Wiseman spent 10 years studying lucky and unlucky people
In one experiment, participants were given a newspaper and asked to count the photos inside. On the second page was a message: "Stop counting - there are 43 photographs in this newspaper." In the middle, another one: "Stop counting, tell the researcher you saw this and win $250." Lucky people noticed both and acted on them. The unlucky ones missed them and spent much more time counting.
Wiseman identified 4 patterns that set lucky people apart:
1. They notice more opportunities
2. They trust their gut
3. They expect good things to happen
4. They reframe setbacks quickly
Interestingly, what Wiseman calls "luck" is really just a mindset. The unlucky participants in the experiment weren't less intelligent. They had simply locked into tunnel vision, and that mode literally blocked out everything else. This is a known effect: the harder you concentrate on a specific goal, the less you notice what's right beside you.
The same logic applies to intuition. Intuition is the rapid processing of accumulated experience. People who trust their instincts make decisions faster and don't overthink them.
Expecting good things is also a matter of mindset. Carol Dweck, best known for her research on motivation and learning, would call this a growth mindset. When you believe good things are possible, you try more, you engage more with the world around you, and statistically, you simply give yourself more chances for something to click.
So if you've ever considered yourself unlucky, know this: luck was never about fate or being chosen by the universe. It was always about how you think. And unlike fate, thinking can be changed.