A book published in 1978 by neurologist James Austin has been given new life in blogs and on X in the past couple of years. Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty is not something I’ll put on my Amazon wish list ($85!), but I admire the pieces of content that have been released to the world.

 

Dr. Austin, a practicing Zen Buddhist, wrote the book to uncover the role of persistence, creativity, and luck in advancing scientific discoveries. All his books after this one are about meditation, Zen, and the brain. They are much more affordable on Amazon.

 

Anyway…

 

I became aware of Dr. Austin’s four types of luck while meditating. Seriously. It was the “Daily Jay” on my beloved Calm app recently.

 

Here are the four types* of luck:

*As interpreted by Jay Shetty and others. Dr. Austin referred to them as “chance.”

 

Blind Luck

 

This is the typical definition of luck: random chance, winning the genetic lottery, finding money on the sidewalk, etc. You have no control over it, nor can you influence its presence or absence.

 

Luck from Motion

 

This type of luck results from action, getting out there and doing stuff, and/or putting yourself in situations where luck may occur. Dr. Austin asserts that the more you engage with life, the more you increase your “luck surface area.”

 

The best way I can envision the luck surface area concept is a glue-covered Human Hamster Ball. The more things you do, the larger your hamster ball becomes, and the more stuff will stick to it.

 

Luck from Awareness

 

I have read this type of luck described in two ways.

 

First is from a positivity/manifestation standpoint. When you believe that the universe is full of opportunities, you tend to see them more clearly. It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy kind of thing.

 

A second way to view this type of luck is that it results from expertise. Experts are more attuned to opportunities in their areas of expertise than non-experts, right?

 

Luck from Uniqueness

 

You have a unique blend of skills, strengths, qualities, and interests. When you cultivate your diverse passions, you distinguish yourself from the crowd. You attract opportunities that match whatever soup would result from a refrigerator cleanout night at your home.

 

At my first conference for professional organizers back in 2008, one of the speakers said, “Differentiate or DIE!” about 27 times during his Marketing for Professional Organizers presentation. It was a dire warning, but the concept stuck. I had to make my business different. I had to highlight what made me different.

 

What type of luck should I pursue?

 

I like how this model points to different actions and areas of focus in our lives and work that can enhance effectiveness.

 

For example, Blind Luck is something to be very, very grateful for. It’s something important to know about yourself. For example, generational wealth is Blind Luck to the ne’er-do-well born into that family 50 years later.

 

However, the creation of generational wealth likely results from Luck from Motion, Awareness, and/or Uniqueness.

 

Luck that comes from your ever-expanding sticky Human Hamster Ball is admirable. You’ve gotten out there and made yourself available to opportunities. You are likely tired from all the running. Then, you have to spend time picking through the debris stuck to your ball to see what might be useful. Still! Your efforts are admirable

 

Additionally, opportunities to which you were attuned because you are the world’s foremost expert on Philematology may have made you a reality TV star.

 

Your unique combination of stage presence, discernment, attractiveness, and hiring a great publicist may make you the “luckiest” motivational speaker in the world.

 

 

How do the four types of luck affect my productivity?

 

I don’t see any of the four types of luck as inherently better than the other one.

 

But the productive actions of a person benefiting from or manifesting each will differ in the following ways.

 

Blind Luck

• They spend time in a gratitude practice, which makes them feel happier.
• They subscribe to media that highlights justice discrepancies in the world.
• They may be activists for social change and look for opportunities to help others.

 

Luck from Motion

• They scan community boards, business websites, and social media for potential opportunities.
• They set goals for a certain number of networking meetings each month, which energizes them to get out there and hustle.
• They make spreadsheets of influencers to meet, VIPs to contact, and other relationships to cultivate.

 

Luck from Awareness

• They identify areas of knowledge about which they are passionate.
• They deepen their understanding of these areas.
• They see the interconnections between their expertise and seemingly unrelated areas.

 

Luck from Uniqueness

• They are “comfortable in their own skin.” They are self-aware and confident.
• They deepen their knowledge of personal branding and how to make themselves heard in relevant arenas.
• They attract opportunities and/or their ideal clients because of their distinctiveness and ability to communicate it.

 

What type of luck resonates with you right now?

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Melissa Gratias (pronounced “Gracious”) used to think that productivity was a result of working long hours. And, she worked a lot of hours. Then, she learned that productivity is a skill set, not a personality trait. Now, Melissa is a productivity expert who coaches and trains other businesspeople to be more focused, balanced, and effective. She is a prolific writer and speaker who travels the world helping people change how they work and improve how they live. Contact her at getproductive@melissagratias.com or 912-417-2505. Sign up to receive her productivity tips via email.