7 Habits To Make You "Lucky" (That Most People Learn Too Late)

"You're so lucky!"

I hear this constantly. And honestly? It's a bit annoying.

People see the highlight reels and think it all happened with no stress, late nights, and endless lost weekends that definitely didn't involve brunch with the girls. They see the wins but miss the grind that created them.

Success in my 20+ years of building, growing, buying, and selling businesses isn't about luck. It's about creating the conditions where good things become inevitable. It's about stacking the deck in your favour through deliberate choices and consistent habits.

Here's the truth: what people call "luck" is really just preparation meeting opportunity. And you have far more control over both than you think.

Let me share how I turned "a little bit of luck" into consistent, repeatable results.

1. The Ready, Fire, Aim Theory

Action creates momentum. After all, you can't steer a parked car.

Every breakthrough in my business journey came from moving first, then adjusting along the way. Perfect plans are overrated. Messy progress beats pristine paralysis every single time.

I know this approach isn't for everyone. Some people need every detail mapped out before they take a step. But I'm a big believer in just saying, "We'll figure it out. We'll find a way."

The market will teach you faster than any business plan ever could. Your customers will show you what they actually want, not what you think they want. And problems will reveal solutions you never would have thought of sitting at your desk.

Just get started. The clarity comes through action, not through endless planning.

2. Protect Your Time Like Gold

This lesson cost me years of my life to learn.

I used to do everything myself. Answer every email. Handle every task. Manage every detail. I thought I was being efficient, but I was actually being incredibly inefficient with the most valuable resource I had: my time.

Here's the shift that changed everything: Stop doing £10-per-hour tasks when you could be focusing on £1,000-per-hour work.

Your energy and attention should go toward the activities that only you can do. The strategic thinking. The relationship building. The creative problem-solving. The vision casting.

The magic happens when you focus on what energises you, not what drains you. When you're working in your zone of genius, everything flows better. Results come faster. And ironically, you'll find you have more energy at the end of the day, not less.

Delegate, automate, or eliminate everything else. Your future self will thank you.

3. Get the "No" Fast

Before building anything, I ask one simple question: "If I created this, would you buy it?"

Testing ideas in the real world beats mental gymnastics every time. You'll either get validation that you're onto something, or you'll save yourself months (or years) chasing something nobody actually wants.

The fastest way to fail is to build something in isolation, assuming you know what people need. The fastest way to succeed is to involve your potential customers in the creation process from day one.

Don't fall in love with your ideas. Fall in love with solving real problems for real people. And the only way to know if you're solving a real problem is to ask.

Get comfortable with rejection. Every "no" gets you closer to the right "yes."

4. Everyone Wins, or Nobody Does

My biggest successes happened when everyone at the table was excited to move forward together.

This isn't just about being nice (though that doesn't hurt). It's about being smart.

Fair exchanges create loyal partners. Loyal partners become advocates. Advocates bring you more opportunities. More opportunities create more success.

On the flip side, squeezing every penny out of every deal creates enemies. And enemies have long memories.

I've watched too many people optimize for short-term gains at the expense of long-term relationships. They might win the battle, but they lose the war.

Choose wisely. Your reputation is everything in business, and word travels fast.

5. Talk to Strangers

My parents met on a plane. Think about that for a moment.

Every business partner, mentor, client, and friend of mine was once a complete stranger.

The people who will change your life haven't met you yet.

This means every conversation is potentially life-changing. Every person you meet could be the connection that opens a door you didn't even know existed.

Be curious about everyone. Ask questions. Listen more than you talk. Find common ground. You never know where it might lead.

The world becomes a much smaller and friendlier place when you approach it with genuine curiosity about the people in it.

6. Stay Dangerously Curious

The moment you think you know it all, you're done.

I'm obsessed with learning. Books, podcasts, conversations with people smarter than me - it all compounds.

Every piece of knowledge builds on the last, creating connections and insights that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Knowledge creates those "aha!" moments that look like luck to everyone else. But they're not luck. They're the result of continuous learning and pattern recognition.

The world is changing faster than ever. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. The only way to stay ahead is to stay curious, stay hungry, and never stop learning.

Your next breakthrough is hiding in something you don't know yet.

7. Surround Yourself with Winners

This might sound harsh, but your environment determines your results.

Positive, solution-focused people create positive, solution-focused outcomes. Negative, problem-focused people create negative, problem-focused outcomes.

Energy is contagious. Choose your exposure carefully.

I'm not saying you should abandon friends who are going through tough times. I'm saying you should be intentional about who you spend your time with and what energy they bring into your life.

Surround yourself with people who challenge you to be better. People who see possibilities where others see problems. People who are building something meaningful with their lives.

Your network isn't just who you know. It's who influences how you think, what you believe is possible, and what standards you hold yourself to.

The Bottom Line

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

But here's what most people miss: you have far more control over both preparation and opportunity than you think.

These seven habits aren't magic. They're not shortcuts. They're the compound result of thousands of small decisions made consistently over time.

The good news? You can start implementing any of them today. Pick one that resonates with you and commit to it for the next 30 days.

The even better news? When you start getting "lucky" more often, people will want to know your secret. And you'll have a choice: you can tell them it's just luck, or you can share what you've learned.

I recommend the latter. After all, the best way to compound your own luck is to help others create theirs.

Which habit will you start with?