There are simple tools that can further help you exploit serendipity.

• The serendipity hook strategy. Whenever you meet someone new, cast a few hooks: Find out about hobbies, vocation, current interests, creating space for common ground and shared pas...

Serendipity often requires an incubation period. Some efforts result in an immediate spark, while others are like planting seeds that will produce fruit in the future.

Respect your time. Diarise this time like you would a business meeting. Give yourself space to ma...

Our habits and preconceptions can prevent us from spotting serendipity. Three major biases stand in the way:

• Underestimating the unexpected. Once we start to accept that the unexpected happens all the time (bad and good) can we begin to view it as a ...

• Trigger - the moment when something unusual or unexpected happens.
• Connect the dots - observe the trigger and link it to something seemingly unrelated, thus realising the potential valued within a unique event.
• Sagacity and tenacit...

Preparation is the main factor for creating smart luck. It is mostly about removing the mental and physical barriers to serendipity. These include overloaded schedules, pointless meetings, and inefficiencies throughout your day.

An unprepared mind often discards unusual en...

• You might discover patterns that stand out from your journaling that is cluttering your life. Consider why it doesn't work well. What was the underlying assumption that you based your decision on? What could you do instead?
• Another part is to clean up the s...

Beginners can set a timer for two minutes, then list in two columns the parts of your day that led to positive outcomes and parts that did not. Examine what parts worked really well, and what was inefficient, stressful or unfulfilling.

You might notice patterns that stand out for good or b...

It is vital to be open and alert to the unexpected.

In one experiment, two people were chosen. The one saw themselves as 'lucky,' the other as 'unlucky.' Both participants were taking separate trips to a coffee shop. On the pavement was a £5 note, and inside sat someon...