The Serendipity Mindset
“Sliding door moments can change your life but so often pass us by”, Christian Busch.
Dr Christian Busch is a LSE & NYU academic who has dedicated his life to studying how the ‘winding road’ can lead to a prosperous life. His new book, The Serendipity Mindset, encourages us to look towards life’s unpredictable and challenging moments as an extra opportunity to get ahead.
The rationale here is that however well-planned our days are, life often gets in the way, and we cannot control many events from happening, therefore it is imperative not to waste energy on things outside of your control. Busch wants us to see past the frustrations of such moments, and see life with a curious and open mind.
With a mindset, set on being less reactionary and more inquisitive, we will develop an inclination that an opportunity is around the corner, and maybe a minor setback is actually a realignment in where we need to be. Busch continues to develop this by emphasising that it is not just about reprogramming your mind to see possibility within life’s unplanned moments, it is the belief in your own ability to ‘cultivate luck’ within this context.
A byproduct of the energy and application, luck, Busch believes, is truly the catalyst for a joyful and abundant life. It is a concrete belief that you are constantly creating good fortune through your daily actions in both the planned and the unplanned.
Ultimately your secret weapon is using unpredictability to your advantage, and believing that is your ‘lucky charm’.
Gary Player, widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time, is a firm believer in 'making his own luck’. A quote, made famous by the World Golf Hall of Fame, “the harder I practice, the luckier I get” certainly bode true for his career, which saw him win 9 major championships and being the first ever non-American golfer to win a grand slam. In a nutshell Gary’s quote summarises succinctly what Busch has found, the unapologetic belief in ones own ability to cultivate the most desired outcomes, despite the moment, be it planned or unplanned.
If anything, be curious, work hard and believe you are your own lucky charm.
Christian Busch’s book, The art and science of creating good luck, click here
An article on this mental model featured in the Guardian, click here
Tom Bednall
Commercial Director