About Get Lucky

Luck has a random side. You can’t decide when the right person will walk into a room or which unexpected idea will work out. But you can change the habits that help you notice opportunities and do something with them.

That’s what Get Lucky is about.

We explore the psychology of luck, from attention and chance encounters to decision-making, relationships, expectations, and how people respond when things go wrong. Some of the most useful lessons are surprisingly ordinary. Talk to someone outside your usual circle. Pay attention to what you almost ignored. Follow up on an idea before it slips away.

What you’ll find here

Clear explanations of research, practical articles, and experiments you can try for yourself. Our work draws on psychologist Richard Wiseman’s research on luck and related studies of behavior and opportunity. When we adapt a published experiment, we’ll tell you. When an idea is worth trying but hasn’t been scientifically validated, we’ll say that too.

Nothing here guarantees good fortune or changes the odds of a random event. But there’s plenty to learn about how people meet opportunities, recognize them, and decide what to do next.

A good place to begin

Try taking a different route to work, or read about knowing when it’s time to quit. Pick one idea you can test this week.

Published by Lucky Lehrer.