How to Create Your Own Luck: Lessons from Professor Richard Wiseman

Every time I drive into a car park, I turn to my partner and say the same thing: “Visualise a space.” And without fail, one appears. Now, I’m sure she thinks I’m some kind of wizard. I think it’s psychology. More specifically, it’s exactly what Professor Richard Wiseman discovered in his groundbreaking research on why some people seem consistently luckier than others. And no - it’s not magic, and it’s not coincidence.

The Luck Experiment That Changed Everything

Wiseman spent years studying people who considered themselves “lucky” versus those who felt chronically unlucky. His findings were simple, but life-changing: Lucky people aren’t lucky. They think differently. They expect good things. They carry themselves with openness instead of tension. They look up instead of down. They notice opportunities other people walk straight past.

In one memorable experiment, Wiseman gave participants a newspaper and asked them to count the photos. On page two was a huge message: “STOP COUNTING - THERE ARE 43 PHOTOS.”

The “lucky” people spotted it immediately. The “unlucky” people didn’t. Same task. Same opportunity. Different mindset. Luck wasn’t random. It was awareness.

Back to the Car Park

When I say “visualise a space,” what I really mean is: expect something good. Your brain will automatically look for what you prime it to see. Most people enter a car park already annoyed, already convinced they’ll be circling forever. Their mind filters for the problem, not the possibility. But when you expect a space, when you’re relaxed, curious, hopeful, you actually notice gaps others drive straight past.

You create your own luck.

How This Shows Up Everywhere

This mindset isn’t just for parking. It spills into relationships, career, health, and life in general.

Unlucky thinking:

• “I always attract the wrong people.”

• “I can’t lose weight.”

• “No good things ever happen to me.”

Lucky thinking:

• “I expect good things.”

• “I spot opportunities others miss.”

• “I trust myself to handle whatever comes.”

Same world. Different experience.

The Takeaway

“Good luck” is often just openness: noticing what others overlook and not blocking opportunities before they arrive.

Try this this week:

Before you enter a meeting, start something new, or pull into a car park, pause and say:

“I’m expecting something good.”

It seems small, but Wiseman’s research proves it changes everything.

And who knows… you might even get the perfect parking spot.