What if good luck isn’t random? Or rare? What if there was a way to have more luck in your life? Sounds impossible? According to Tina Seelig, executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, there are Five Things Highly Successful People Do To Get Luckier In Life. She states that, “Contrary to popular belief, good luck isn’t random or rare. I like to compare luck to the wind: You can’t see it, but it’s powerful and everywhere. If you know how to sail, you can harness it and make it work for you. along with my comments on how to make it work in our education world.

Here are her five recommendations along with my recommendations for how we can apply this to our work:

1. The luckiest people have strong core values – Seligsays, “To define your core values, pay attention to what is important to you, and where you won’t compromise.” For us as school librarians, these values rest in our Common Beliefs. Review the six Common Beliefs along with their explanation. They state what we stand for. When we are under attack, this is what we look to and use in response. Letting others know what your values are and when they see you living by them, builds trust. This trust leads to opportunities such as creating collaborations and building advocates.
2. The luckiest people take ownership of their stories – “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” When you believe in your ability to get something done, you are open to discovering possibilities you wouldn’t have seen and find people who are ready to come on board. You create greater agency and attract opportunities.
3. The luckiest people make room for surprises – Consider this statement by Selig, “Every decision you make, no matter how small, has the potential to dramatically alter the course of your life.” Again, be more aware of the possibilities. Every chance to connect, even the short and unexpected ones — a chat in the hallway, a recommendation offered at a bookstore — increases the likelihood of good things happening. Look for openings in conversations to talk about the importance of school librarians or tap into their positive memories before expanding on what else we do. The person your talking to might develop a greater understanding of what kids and teachers will lose if we are eliminated.
4. The luckiest people embrace imposter syndrome – Surprised? I was. Most of us try to fight our brain whispering that we aren’t doing as good a job as another librarian or that we could or should be doing more. Selig says to welcome that recognition. Every new experience  comes with as much opportunity for success as failure. And remember the acronym we tell students – FAIL is the First Attempt In Learning. Instead of trying to cover up this voice, learn what lesson the failure offered. Use your PLN and find out who is doing it successfully. Get advice and maybe a mentor for improving what you are doing.
5. The luckiest people consistently show appreciation – Definitely! Displays of gratitude may feel good in the moment, but they also have a long-term impact. A quick thank you text is great, but handwritten notes are better because they are so much rarer. You might even give a small gift. I have sent flowers or fruit arrangements to let people know how much I appreciate them.  When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to reach out to you again or recommend you to others.

You can increase the good luck in your life by putting these five steps into action. Look to expand on the ones you already do and expand on them before adding in the ones you haven’t tried yet. Not only will your luck increase, but you’ll be seen as someone who recognizes the knowledge and abilities of others. You’ll be a stronger leader and help them get lucky, too!