Beginner's Luck - Make Today Happen

Building the road to beginner’s luck.

Does beginner’s luck exist? Science says that ‘beginner’s luck’ has more to do with one’s psychology. Beginners might come out ahead because they are more positive and fearless. The probability of losing big also exists. It could be confirmation bias – you believe what you want to believe based on your viewpoint or the views of people who are like you. For instance, a doctor who misdiagnosis a patient might believe they know what the patient suffers from without listening to the latter’s story or asking questions.

In real life, the road to ‘beginner’s luck’ is the result of preparation, time, and effort. The first step is to consider where you are and where you want to be. Regular contemplation of these questions leads to mental clarity and more awareness. They also help you remove what you don’t want in your life rather writing endless lists of your ‘wants’ and suffocating yourself with more junk.

First, declutter on a regular basis and clean your internal space. This will also help you get rid of physical clutter. Once you strike out the unnecessary, you are ready. Otherwise, it is hard to get up from your chair with so much baggage weighing you down. A mental cleanse lightens you up. Look around you. Does anything really belong to you? It is only a temporary space you occupy. When you go, another occupies it. If you refuse to move and cling to it, that chair is all you will know of ‘life’. Is this how you want to spend life, without tasting it in its entirety?

“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.” – Marie Kondo

Next, consider what is integral to your survival. Health should be your priority. Your body is unforgiving. You might hide your face and emotions behind a million masks but what you put in your mouth shows on your body and is visible to everyone. Eat healthy. Give your stomach ample rest between meals. This means eating and exercising in moderation. It also means learning to refuse tempting, unhealthy food.

This is hard in an environment where people on one diet or another keep chomping on ‘skinny’ foods when they are not eating ‘healthy’ foods and their idea of goodwill is offering unhealthy food to others as well. One of the necessities when you have a life plan is learning to say no, however it is perceived. After all, it is your body and your health. If your idea of connecting with others is a hurried lunch, explore other ways of connecting. Like a walk or a trip to the museum or chat over coffee in a café bookshop which offers more mental stimulation than a restaurant.

Money (or related fears) seems to halt people in their tracks and vegetate where they are. Money is one of the many tools we can use to enhance the quality of our lives. It is a means to an end, and not an end by itself. Learn to invest and grow your money to ensure a second source of income. Depending on a single income is like putting all your eggs in one basket. This mistake decimates your life plan by forcing you to remain stagnant for the sake of an income. The internet has gigabytes of guidance on wisely growing your money. It helps reclaim your time and focus on enhancing your life.

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” – Ayn Rand

A key to learning and improving your awareness of life is looking beyond your tribe. Our primitive brains rebel against this. They don’t look like you, think like you, talk like you, eat like you. They are… uncomfortable. Our caveman’s brain interprets this as danger. New learning starts with discomfort in today’s diverse, connected world. Reach out and interact with people who seem interesting even if they cannot help you in any way. You will create rich, meaningful relationships and strengthen your support network. You may even realize that the tribe you are in is not necessarily the tribe you connect with on a deeper level.

What fulfills you when money is taken out of the equation? Do you have a hobby or a skill that you enjoy working on without looking at the clock? Do you want to learn something new? Follow that instinct without questioning it. Do it. If that means learning something new, go ahead. It will help refresh you.

Once you start focusing on what adds meaning to your life, boredom vanishes. Tradeoffs, if any, become easy because you have already considered them. Your loyalty, above all, is to yourself. Movement makes sense and stagnation means decay. Time, that most precious of all commodities, is yours.

“If you are alone and you are getting bored, obviously you are in bad company. – Sadhguru

Freedom does not mean a perfect life or an idle one. You will work harder and with more focus. Life continues to happen, but others no longer make decisions on how you handle your time and life. Handling life becomes much easier because you already know what adds meaning to your day. You are now ready to live in a more conscious manner and deserve every bit of luck life throws your way.