Luck isn’t random chance. It’s a surface area you can expand. Here’s the exact strategy I’ve used to create extraordinary opportunities—and how you can do the same.
We talk about luck like it’s a lightning strike.
A stroke of fate. A moment when chance and timing magically align. Something that happens to you, not something you create.
But what if everything you’ve been told about luck is wrong?
What if luck isn’t random chance—but a surface area you can deliberately expand?
After years of studying the science of luck and applying these principles in my own life, I’ve discovered something powerful: The people who seem “luckiest” aren’t actually lucky. They’ve just learned how to maximize their luck surface area.
They get the perfect opportunity at exactly the right time. They meet the right person at the right event. They receive life-changing phone calls seemingly out of nowhere.
It looks like magic. But it’s actually a system.
Today, I’m sharing the exact strategy I use to create consistent “luck” in my life—opportunities that have led to dream clients, speaking engagements, collaborations, and outcomes I never could have planned.
This isn’t manifestation theory or wishful thinking. This is practical action that compounds over time to create what others call “lucky breaks.”
By the end of this article, you’ll understand exactly how to increase your own luck surface area—and why 2026 could be your most “fortunate” year yet.
Table of Contents
- The Science Behind Luck (It’s Not What You Think)
- What Is “Luck Surface Area”?
- My 2021 Story: When “Luck” Actually Happened
- The Two Strategies That Create Consistent Luck
- Why Modern “Manifestation” Advice Is Incomplete
- The Serendipity Principle: Making Magic Predictable
- How to Increase Your Luck Surface Area in 2026
- Your Action Plan: Seeds to Plant Today
The Science Behind Luck (It’s Not What You Think)
Let me start with something that will challenge how you think about luck:
Scientific studies have proven that people who believe they’re lucky actually experience more opportunities.
Dr. Richard Wiseman, a psychologist who spent a decade studying luck, found something remarkable: Lucky people aren’t actually luckier in terms of random chance. They’re simply better at:
- Noticing opportunities that unlucky people miss
- Creating connections that lead to fortunate outcomes
- Taking action on possibilities others ignore
- Maintaining optimism that keeps them open to opportunity
In his research, lucky people were four times more likely to notice unexpected opportunities in their environment. When given the same newspaper and asked to count photographs, “unlucky” people focused only on the task. “Lucky” people noticed the giant message on page two that said: “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.”
The difference wasn’t actual luck. It was attention and mindset.
But there’s more to it than just believing you’re lucky. There’s a practical framework for actually creating more luck.
I call it expanding your luck surface area.
What Is “Luck Surface Area”?
Think of luck like sunlight.
If you have a small surface area—say, a window—you catch a limited amount of light. If you expand that surface—like opening multiple windows, or stepping outside—you catch exponentially more.
Luck surface area is the total area of possibility you create for opportunities to find you.
The formula is simple:
Luck Surface Area = (Actions You Take) × (Visibility You Create) × (Value You Provide)
Let me break this down:
Actions You Take: Every conversation, every piece of content, every connection, every event you attend. Each action is a potential point of contact for opportunity.
Visibility You Create: How many people know you exist, what you do, and what value you offer. The more visible you are, the more opportunities can find you.
Value You Provide: The quality and usefulness of what you share. High value attracts high-quality opportunities.
When you maximize all three, opportunities don’t feel lucky—they feel inevitable.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
Someone who sits at home, tells no one what they do, and waits for opportunities has a luck surface area of nearly zero.
Someone who networks regularly, creates content consistently, and clearly communicates their value has a luck surface area that’s 100x larger.
More surface area = more chances for “lucky” things to happen.
My 2021 Story: When “Luck” Actually Happened
Let me share a personal example that illustrates exactly how this works.
It was 2021. We were in the second or third lockdown—I honestly lost count. I was frustrated because I desperately wanted to do speaking engagements, and I also wanted to return to Martinique (where I’m from).
But travel was severely restricted. You needed valid documentation, special permission, a justified reason to travel. And speaking events? They were chaos—constantly cancelled, rescheduled, or moved online.
I remember thinking: I really, really want to give a conference. I really want to go back to Martinique. I feel this deep need to do both.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I got an opportunity.
Someone contacted me to give a conference in Martinique—during the lockdown period. They would provide all the documentation I needed to enter the territory. The topic? Remotivating tourism businesses during the crisis.
This felt like pure luck. A perfect alignment of timing and opportunity.
But was it actually luck? Or was it the result of something I’d been doing consistently?
Why They Actually Found Me
When they reached out, I asked how they found me. Here’s what they said:
They needed someone who understood crisis management, productivity during difficult times, and motivating people through uncertainty. When they researched speakers, they found my content—YouTube videos, articles, social media posts—all addressing exactly these topics.
They found me because I’d been creating content consistently since 2020 about crisis management, resilience, and productivity.
I hadn’t created that content hoping for this specific opportunity. I created it because I had value to share and I wanted to be visible.
But when the opportunity arose, I was findable. I was the obvious choice.
That’s not luck. That’s strategic visibility creating what looks like luck.
The Two Strategies That Create Consistent Luck
After analyzing dozens of “lucky breaks” in my own life and observing patterns in others who consistently attract opportunities, I’ve identified two core strategies:
Strategy #1: Create Content Regularly
This is the single most powerful way to increase your luck surface area in the modern world.
Every piece of content you create is:
- A permanent signal of what you do and care about
- A way for opportunities to find you (even years later)
- Proof of your expertise and thinking
- A connection point for like-minded people
I regularly get opportunities from content I created 5, 6, even 7 years ago. Someone discovers an old video or article, realizes I’m exactly who they need, and reaches out.
This compounds over time. One article might reach 100 people. Ten articles might reach 1,000. One hundred articles might reach 100,000—and create opportunities you couldn’t have imagined.
You’re not creating content for views or virality (though those are nice). You’re creating content to expand the area where luck can find you.
Strategy #2: Network Consistently
I know there’s a trend online—especially among people who exclusively sell digital products—that says “networking is dead” or “meeting people in person is unnecessary.”
This is terrible advice.
My biggest professional opportunities have come from networking. Not all of them, but many of the most significant ones.
Here’s why networking works:
Compounding connections: When you meet someone, you’re not just connecting with one person—you’re connecting with their entire network. One conversation can lead to five introductions, which lead to twenty opportunities.
Trust and memory: When someone meets you in person, they remember you differently than if they just saw your content online. You become real, memorable, three-dimensional.
Serendipity: You can’t predict who will be at an event, who they know, or what opportunities they’re aware of. By showing up, you create space for unexpected connections.
But here’s the key: I’m not talking about transactional networking. I’m not talking about collecting business cards or manipulating relationships.
I’m talking about genuinely connecting with people who share your values, who you enjoy talking to, who you’d want to collaborate with.
Maybe 80% of these connections won’t lead anywhere professionally. That’s fine. But 20% will create collaborations, introductions, joint projects, or opportunities you never could have planned.
Every genuine connection expands your luck surface area.
Why Modern “Manifestation” Advice Is Incomplete
I need to address something that drives me crazy in the personal development world: manifestation culture.
Let me be clear: I believe in manifestation. But most people are doing it wrong.
I actually made one of my first viral videos back in 2012 about the law of attraction. The message? Visualization is important—but it’s only half the equation.
You can’t just sit at home, visualize what you want, and expect the universe to deliver it.
Manifestation without action is just daydreaming.
I once met a woman at a networking event who told me she’d been struggling to get clients for her new business for six months. When I asked what she’d done to attract clients, she said: “I visualize every day. I do the inner work. I’m manifesting clients coming to me.”
When I suggested some practical marketing strategies, she got defensive: “No, I was told to visualize and the clients will come to me.”
This is the problem with incomplete manifestation teaching. It creates this entitled mindset: “I deserve it, so things should come to me.”
That’s not how reality works.
Here’s the complete formula:
- Get clear on what you want (this is the manifestation part)
- Take consistent action to create conditions for it to happen
- Stay open to opportunities that look different than you expected
- Provide value that makes you worth finding
Manifestation is the compass. Action is the engine. Both are necessary.
The Serendipity Principle: Making Magic Predictable
There’s a concept I love called serendipity—when fortunate things happen without you specifically planning for them.
It’s that “perfect timing” moment. The unexpected connection. The opportunity that falls in your lap at exactly the right time.
Serendipity feels magical. But it’s actually predictable when you understand how it works.
Serendipity happens at the intersection of preparation and exposure.
When you:
- Regularly create content about what you care about
- Consistently connect with people in your field
- Clearly communicate what you do and value
- Stay open to unexpected opportunities
…you create the conditions for serendipity to occur.
You’re not controlling exactly what will happen or when. But you’re maximizing the probability that something interesting will happen.
My Serendipity Strategy
I don’t calculate every connection. I don’t pursue relationships transactionally. I don’t plan out exactly how every piece of content will lead to specific opportunities.
Instead, I operate on this principle: If I connect with people who share my values and consistently create value, interesting things will happen.
Sometimes it’s a collaboration I couldn’t have imagined. Sometimes it’s an introduction to someone transformational. Sometimes it’s an opportunity that redirects my entire path.
I can’t predict what. But I can predict that something will happen—because I’ve expanded my luck surface area to the point where serendipity is frequent, not rare.
This is what changes life from feeling like a struggle to feeling like a game full of surprises.
How to Increase Your Luck Surface Area in 2026
Ready to actually implement this? Here’s your practical framework:
Step 1: Define What “Lucky” Looks Like for You
Before you can increase your luck surface area, you need to know what you’re aiming for.
Ask yourself:
- What opportunities would feel “lucky” if they happened?
- What kinds of people would be game-changers to meet?
- What projects would you love to be invited into?
- What outcomes would feel like perfect timing?
Get specific. “More opportunities” is too vague. “Speaking engagements at conferences in my industry” or “Collaborations with creators I admire” is specific.
Step 2: Identify Your Luck Channels
Where can opportunities come from in your life? Common channels include:
Content creation:
- Blog posts or articles
- YouTube videos or podcasts
- Social media posts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram)
- Books, courses, or digital products
- Email newsletters
Networking:
- Industry conferences and events
- Mastermind groups or communities
- Coffee meetings or virtual calls
- Speaking engagements
- Collaborative projects
Visibility:
- Guest appearances on podcasts or videos
- Speaking opportunities
- Media features or interviews
- Recommendations from others
- SEO and search visibility
Choose 2-3 channels you’ll focus on consistently. Don’t try to do everything—focus on what you can sustain.
Step 3: Plant Seeds Daily
This is the magic step: small, consistent actions that compound over time.
Examples:
- Publish one piece of content per week (article, video, post)
- Reach out to one new person per week for a genuine connection
- Share one idea publicly every day (even if it’s just a tweet or LinkedIn post)
- Attend one networking event per month
- Say yes to one unexpected opportunity per quarter
These feel small in the moment. But over a year? They create an exponentially larger luck surface area.
Step 4: Make Yourself Findable
When opportunities arise, can people find you? Do they understand what you do and what value you provide?
Make sure you have:
- A clear online presence (website, LinkedIn, portfolio)
- Content that demonstrates your expertise
- A way for people to contact you
- Clear communication about what you do and who you help
If an opportunity came looking for you tomorrow, would they be able to find you and immediately understand why you’re the right person?
Step 5: Stay Open to Unexpected Paths
The opportunities that change your life often don’t look like what you expected.
They might be:
- An invitation to something you’ve never done before
- A connection with someone outside your industry
- A project that seems tangential to your main work
- An opportunity that requires you to stretch
Don’t be so fixated on one specific outcome that you miss the unexpected opportunities.
Your Action Plan: Seeds to Plant Today
Here’s your practical action plan for the next 30 days:
Week 1: Audit Your Current Luck Surface Area
- List all the ways opportunities could currently find you
- Rate each channel 1-10 based on how active/visible you are
- Identify which channels you want to focus on
Time investment: 1-2 hours
Week 2: Create Your Content System
- Decide what type of content you’ll create regularly
- Set up a simple publishing schedule (weekly? bi-weekly?)
- Create your first piece of content
- Publish it
Time investment: 3-5 hours
Week 3: Initiate New Connections
- List 10 people you’d like to connect with genuinely
- Reach out to 3 of them (email, DM, comment on their work)
- Schedule or attend one networking event or virtual meetup
Time investment: 2-3 hours
Week 4: Make Yourself More Findable
- Update your LinkedIn profile to clearly state what you do
- Create or update your website/portfolio
- Add a clear way for people to contact you
- Publish another piece of content
Time investment: 2-4 hours
Ongoing: Plant Seeds Daily
Choose 1-2 daily habits:
- Share one idea on social media
- Comment meaningfully on others’ content
- Send one message to someone in your network
- Work on one piece of long-form content
- Research one event or opportunity to pursue
Time investment: 15-30 minutes daily
The Compound Effect of Expanded Luck
Here’s what happens when you consistently expand your luck surface area:
Month 1-3: You’re planting seeds. Not much visible “luck” yet, but you’re building the foundation.
Month 4-6: First “lucky” opportunities start appearing. Someone finds your content. A connection leads to an introduction.
Month 7-9: Serendipity increases noticeably. Multiple opportunities arise in unexpected ways.
Month 10-12: You start experiencing what others call “being in the right place at the right time” regularly. Your luck surface area is now large enough that opportunities are constant.
Year 2+: Life feels magical. You regularly receive unexpected opportunities, perfect-timing connections, and outcomes that seem impossibly fortunate.
This isn’t luck anymore. This is the compound effect of strategic visibility and consistent action.
The Mindset Shift That Makes This Work
Beyond the tactics, there’s a mindset shift that makes everything else possible:
Stop thinking of yourself as someone waiting for opportunities. Start thinking of yourself as someone creating conditions for opportunities.
You’re not at the mercy of chance. You’re an active participant in creating your own fortune.
Every piece of content you create is a seed. Every connection you make is a seed. Every value you provide is a seed.
You don’t know which seeds will sprout. But if you plant enough of them, something extraordinary will grow.
This shift—from passive hope to active creation—is what separates people who consistently get “lucky” from those who don’t.
Final Thoughts: Make 2026 Your Luckiest Year
As you head into 2026, ask yourself one critical question:
What am I going to concretely do today to increase my luck surface area?
Not tomorrow. Not when you feel ready. Not when you have the perfect strategy.
Today.
Publish that imperfect piece of content. Reach out to that person you’ve been wanting to connect with. Share that idea you’ve been keeping to yourself. Attend that event even though it’s outside your comfort zone.
Each small action expands the area where luck can find you.
And over time—as these actions compound—you’ll stop attributing good things to “luck” at all. You’ll recognize them as the natural result of the conditions you’ve been creating.
People will call you lucky. But you’ll know the truth: You engineered this.
So here’s to making 2026 your “luckiest” year yet—not through chance, but through strategic expansion of your luck surface area.
What’s one seed you’re going to plant this week to increase your luck surface area? Drop it in the comments—I read every single one and I’m genuinely curious about what you’re creating.