“Good luck with that.” “Beginner’s luck.” “Better luck next time.”

Our language is filled with nods to luck, so it’s no surprise we treat it like a mystical force. We hear these phrases daily and subconsciously accept the idea that our success and happiness are tied to some random twist of fate. When things go well, we’re “in luck.” When they don’t, our luck has “run out.” This widespread belief fuels a massive industry built on chance. In the United States alone, people spend over $200 billion a year on lottery tickets, casinos, and sports betting—all chasing the hope that lady luck will smile on them. This is a clear example of seeking purely extrinsic motivation.

But what if the key to a better life isn't about getting lucky at all? What if the reason for a lack of motivation in our goals is because we're waiting for luck instead of creating it ourselves?

The Unlucky Lottery Winner

Of course, pure luck exists. Winning the lottery is a perfect example; it’s a game of chance with zero skill involved. But here’s the twist: nearly 70% of multimillion-dollar lottery winners end up going broke. A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that the majority of people who win over a million dollars file for personal bankruptcy within five years.

Think about that. Someone gets a check for $10, $20, or $30 million, and just a few years later, they’re in a worse financial position than before. It’s because they broke a fundamental rule of success: before you can have, you must become.

They had the money, but they hadn't become the kind of person capable of managing it. Sustaining wealth requires skills like budgeting, investing, and saying no to handouts. These winners had the ultimate extrinsic motivation but lacked the internal motivation and financial discipline to maintain it. Their story highlights a crucial lesson about character motivation: success is about who you are, not just what you get.

The Link Between Hard Work and Good Fortune

So if success in life isn’t like the lottery, what is it? Sam Goldwyn, the founder of MGM, famously said, “It’s funny but the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get.”

He understood that success is a result of cause and effect, not random chance. We often attribute other people's achievements to luck because we don't see the full picture. The media shows us the glamorous outcomes—the big wins and flashy successes—but rarely covers the relentless work, setbacks, and persistence that made it all possible. The struggle simply doesn’t sell as well as the sizzle.

This is where consistent self motivation comes into play. Dr. Richard Wiseman, a professor at the University of Hertfordshire, studied nearly two million people and found that “lucky” individuals weren’t magically blessed. They were simply better at spotting and seizing opportunities. Their open-mindedness and focus allowed them to turn random events into what looked like lucky breaks. This mindset is driven by strong internal motivation.

Training Your Brain to Spot Opportunities

So how do these “lucky” people see opportunities that others miss? It comes down to a filtering mechanism in our brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). Adult education expert Catherine Leach explained that we are bombarded with so much sensory data every day that our minds would short-circuit if we processed it all. The RAS acts as a filter, deciding what’s relevant enough to bring to our conscious attention.

This filter is programmed by our dominant thoughts and beliefs. If you’re focused on something, your brain is primed to notice things related to it. Think about when you buy a new car and suddenly start seeing that model everywhere. The cars were always there; your brain just started flagging them as important.

This is the secret to manufacturing your own luck. When you have clear goals and maintain strong daily motivation, your RAS works for you, highlighting people, resources, and situations that can help you move forward. As inventor Thomas Edison said, “If you don’t know what you are looking for, you will never know when you find it.” Your focus builds the foundation for your own good fortune.

A Four-Step Guide to Making Your Own Luck

Through observing highly successful people—from founders of billion-dollar startups to Super Bowl winners—a clear four-step pattern emerges for creating your own luck.

1. Willingly Put in the Effort

There are no shortcuts. Consistent action creates the circumstances for opportunity to appear. The information you gain from doing the work teaches you how to succeed. What you focus on is what you become, and it’s what you’re most likely to achieve. Your daily motivation is the fuel.

2. Stay Open to New Perspectives

Opportunities rarely announce themselves with a billboard. You have to keep an open mind and look for the possibilities in every situation. As Zig Ziglar said, focusing on problems gets you more problems, while focusing on possibilities gets you more opportunities.

3. Embrace Setbacks as Fuel

Disappointments are an inevitable part of the journey. Every major success is built on a foundation of overcome obstacles. Instead of letting setbacks derail you, view them as learning opportunities. This resilience is a cornerstone of self motivation. Adopting a “win or learn” philosophy turns every mistake into a stepping stone.

4. Avoid the Pseudo-Experts

The world is full of people who will tell you it can’t be done. To achieve your goals, you can’t follow the path of mediocrity. The only thing an unsuccessful person can teach you is how to be unsuccessful. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in your direction and protect yourself from the naysayers.