Some people are super annoyingly lucky. It’s almost as if they have an unfair advantage that makes them get exactly what they want.
Most people agree that luck and skill both contribute to ‘success’. And they are right but the problem occurs when people see these two separate things, as well... separate. There are several connections between the two.
Every day I think about how I was born into a loving family who was well off in the US. In one respect I feel privileged and thankful for the situation I was born into. Part of this luck is I get to be surrounded by role models and teachers that give me skills to do well according to the rules of life. In other words, my luck in where and when I was born contribute to my skills as a person. From another perspective, I spent a lot of my time growing up making LEGO and robots and fixing things around the house. When I applied to colleges this came in handy and gave me a better chance to get in. Thus both your luck and your skill affect each other. That begs the question, can you be skillful to get luckier?
YES! Tactical luck is possible. The reason some annoying people appear so much luckier is that they ACTUALLY ARE. They increase their chances to get lucky either naturally or by choice. The best example of tactical luck is meeting more people. After getting my first full-time job I realized I had gotten extremely lucky. The number of mechanical engineers in early-stage robotics companies was small and the amount that wanted to be was big. How did I get so lucky? I went to a conference and introduced myself to everyone around me and asked them about their robotics startups and if they had room for me. That landed me interviews which landed me a job. Just leaning into the discomfort of introducing myself and having the courage to tell them what I wanted gave me way more chances to be lucky. And low and behold, I was in the lucky minority.
::Luck can be increased through strategy::