7 Proven Ways To Instantly Increase Your ‘Career Luck’

Some people seem to have all the luck. Every time you turn around, they’re announcing another professional win or career advancement.

While it’s tempting to envy those who always seem so professionally lucky, they’ll be the first to tell you the truth: their success isn’t based on chance; it’s created through their conscious choices and behaviors.

Here are seven proven ways to instantly increase your “career luck”:

1. Get clear on what you want

You can’t go after your goals if they’re fuzzy. Or no longer relevant. Or worse, not even yours. Instead of defaulting to what you “should” want according to others, reflect on what matters most to you right now. Remember, having clarity and specificity around your goals is essential to devising a plan to achieve them.

2. Put yourself out there

Even if you have clarity around your goals, you can’t expect opportunities to come to you; you must take action. You naturally adopt a growth mindset by saying yes to new opportunities and leading with curiosity. Get into the habit of continually putting yourself out there by moving past your comfort zone and embracing new challenges.

3. Invest in yourself

Those at the top of their game know the best investment they can make is in themselves. These people are lifelong learners who read, watch, and listen to acquire and assimilate new information. They understand that it grants them access to insights outside of their area of expertise, which can fuel creativity and innovation, adding to their value. They also prioritize and seek the wisdom of coaches and mentors to guide their professional journeys, share feedback to help them grow, and keep them aligned with their goals.

4. Align your attention with your intention

It’s not enough to know what you want; you have to make a conscious choice to direct your energy on your goals—and stay away from those things that can pull your focus from them. This starts with understanding how you spend your time and where you’re investing your attention. Then, ask yourself if this choice helps you move closer to your goals or prevents you from achieving them. Since time is a limited and non-renewable resource, invest wisely by prioritizing and focusing on what matters most and setting boundaries to protect it.

5. Level up your inner circle

The most successful professionals understand the importance of surrounding themselves with people who support their destiny, not just their history. So if the people in your world are holding you back from accomplishing what you need to do, let them go and find a new inner circle that supports your goals and challenges you to aim higher.

6. Communicate your goals to others

Once you level up your inner circle, communicate your intentions, ambitions, and dreams to its members. You never know who knows someone who can help with an introduction or referral, but they can’t assist you if they don’t know you want their help. Raise awareness about your goals because the more you let others in on what you want, the better your chances are of getting it.

7. Embrace hard work and consistency

There’s no way around this; you have to put in the time and effort to go after what you want. Despite what social media might lead you to believe, professional success doesn’t happen overnight, nor are there any shortcuts. Hard work is the hack, and as unsexy as it sounds, consistently staying focused on what you want and doing the work, day in and day out, is what ultimately leads to career success.

Remember, if you want professional success, don’t rely on luck; create it through conscious choices and behaviors.