Today is your lucky day. At least it is if you pay attention. Paying attention, you see, is one of the important ways you create your own luck. You can see this principle in action in the following story.

Jack (not his real name) sat at the desk in front of mine at the real estate office where I briefly worked as an agent many years ago. He had been there six months and he hadn't sold a thing. One day another agent was sitting nearby, explaining to someone on the phone that he had to find someone to cover his "floor time." Jack heard him and just kept arranging his desk.

Floor time is time spent taking the incoming calls from people who want to buy a new home or other real estate. The caller are generally people who aren't working with an agent yet, so this is a good way to get new customers, make a sale and get a commission especially if you are new and have nothing more to do than straighten out your desk again.

Jack could have volunteered to take the floor time and possibly made a sale, but he was busy arranging his desk. I took the agent's floor time. Chuck quit the business a couple months later. I guess he just had no "luck" in real estate sales.

Make This Your Lucky Day

Lucky people pay attention. They listen to what others around them are saying, and look for the opportunities it it. A friend of mine once got a beautiful boat for half of what it was worth, simply because he was paying attention when the owner mentioned that he needed to get rid of some of his "toys." He was often lucky like this, and was always a good listener.

Paying attention means training your senses to "tune in" to things potentially relevant to your pursuits:

An accident-lawyer's ears should perk up if someone mentions an accident they were in.

A real estate investor should notice that run-down house with the un-mowed lawn.

An internet entrepreneur should stop to read an article on new e-mail legislation.

An art gallery owner should see a beautiful mural on a building - and get the artist's name.

A single man looking for love should spot the absence of a wedding ring.

A philosopher should find principles in action wherever he looks.

Your dog should come running when he hears the refrigerator open.

Of course it is helpful to pay attention at the moment, but this works even better if you take notes. "Lucky" people in our investors association often get deals before they are even listed for sale. Why? Because they have written down other investors phone numbers and the types of properties they deal with, so they can call them from time to time to see if they have something they need to sell. Lucky people pay attention AND take notes.

A final note: Sometimes things really do just happen, but the next time you find yourself saying "She sure is lucky," look a little deeper to see if there are some reasons why, and some lessons you can apply to make this your lucky day.