Hooray!

Can You Learn to Be Lucky? was just named one of Fast Company’s Best Books of 2018!

Even though it’s published by Portfolio—Penguin’s business imprint—I don’t really think of it as a business book. Most of the information pertaining specifically to organizations was cut from the final draft.

The book is about social decision-making and how to be chosen by others, how random these decisions or factors influencing outcomes can be, and how to thrive despite this inherent randomness.

In hindsight, I wish I would have dedicated more pages to the importance of diversification. In every aspect of life that contains inherent uncertainties, the more baskets you can put your eggs in, the better: investing, work projects/companies, income/having clients, building relationships, mastering skills. Anything that is singular is fragile.

I’ve learned even more about luck and randomness during the process of publishing the book, and knowing these things helps me avoid letting any successes get to my head, and any failures get to my heart.