How to Get Lucky: Increase Your Luck Surface Area

People talk about luck like it’s random. Like it just “happens” to some people and not to others. But the truth is, luck favors the people who put themselves in position to receive it.

If you want to get lucky, start increasing your luck surface area.

It’s hard to get lucky sitting at home, binge-watching Netflix. You’re not meeting anyone new, you’re not learning anything, you’re not exposing yourself to opportunities. You’re in the same place, with the same people, doing the same things. Luck rarely lives there.

On the other hand, it’s a lot easier to get lucky when you’re out there engaging, learning, and connecting—both physically and digitally. That could mean showing up at events, taking a class, reaching out to someone online, writing, sharing your ideas, or even just asking more questions in conversation.

The more you put yourself out there, the more surface area you create for luck to stick to.

Think of luck as sparks. If you’re locked away in a dark room, no sparks will ever reach you. But if you’re out in the world, surrounded by movement and friction, sparks are flying everywhere. Some of them will land. Some will light something up.

Most people wait for luck like it’s the lottery. But real luck is built. It’s the result of showing up, trying things, putting yourself in uncomfortable places, and staying open.

So if you want to get “lucky,” stop waiting. Start creating. Expand your surface area until it’s impossible not to bump into new opportunities.

Because luck isn’t magic. It’s math. The more chances you give yourself, the more likely one will pay off.