How to improve your luck surface area

Read time: 3 minutes

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a tech workshop and hang out with old friends.

All participants were cybersecurity SMEs, and most workshop discussions were technical.

During one of the sessions, one of the participants asked the group:

• Why do you keep saying he?

It was about how we were referring to the author of the texts we were reading (which the author wasn’t identified). The person who made this comment was a woman.

It stuck to me.

We do have a writing guide; we all acknowledge using gender-neutral pronouns, and still, that happens. 

She had to be bold enough to call this out in a room full of men.

And I am so grateful for that.

Unconscious bias is real.

We must remain vigilant and improve daily, knowing that no matter how hard we try, we were exposed for so long to gender-biased environments that this might never go away.

It is a process, not a goal.

With gratitude, 🙏🏼

Eder

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The step of the week 👣

Improve your luck surface area

I was exposed to this concept for the first time by Sahill Bloom in one of his tweets.

The idea comes from a book by Dr. Richard Wiseman called The Luck Factor, which focuses on how we can increase our chances by making conscious choices to improve our desired outcomes.

I wasn’t lucky enough to be born rich or in a nation with broad computer and internet access. Even when they became more common, my parents couldn’t afford one. And this was out of my control.

But when I realized I was passionate about technology, I knew I had to do something to get closer to computers and make a career out of it.

When I joined high school, I spent most of my time between the morning and afternoon classes hanging out with the older students responsible for taking care of the school network to learn more about this new universe.

I spent so much time being “the intern of the interns” that I was the perfect candidate when a new internship position opened.

Eventually, I used the internship money and, with the help of my parents, bought my first computer, which broke within one year. 😩 

It took a couple of years before I could buy a new one. Internet? Only at weekends! 🤷🏼‍♂️

In the meantime, I used every opportunity to access the internet at school and work.

I was lucky enough that my employers allowed me to stay late at work to keep learning and gave me the keys to go on weekends.

I come from a humble origin, and yes, I had a lot of luck in my path. But not blind luck. It was luck that came from motion, from awareness. I had to prepare myself so that when luck arrived, I could take it. 🍀

TLDR;

The world now is full of opportunities. Embrace them and increase your luck surface area. 

Remove the “anti-luck” items, such as pessimism, and double down on actions that increase your chances, like meeting new people.

Doors will open for you, too. 💪🏽🚀

My favourites for the week

🎦 Movie – One Life

This biopic starring Anthony Hopkins tells the story of Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker who was responsible for saving hundreds of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia during the horrors of World War II.

It shows that ordinary people can make a remarkable difference when they believe in themselves. 

I watched it on the airplane and couldn’t hold back the tears. 

📱 App – Yuka

This app, self-funded with no ads, is a true gem and a must-have for me.

It helps you identify the ingredients of over 3 million food products by providing detailed information, breaking it down simply and intuitively.

I just have to scan the product’s barcode, and it shows me how good (or bad!) it is, and I can make an informed choice.

It also offers recommendations on alternatives, which makes it even better.

Quote of the week

The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.

Atomic Habits, By James Clear

Rediscovered using Readwise, my favourite app to revisit my highlights and remember what I read.

A favour to ask 📢 I would love to hear your feedback. Please share your thoughts: what you liked, what you didn’t, problems you are trying to solve and topics you would like to see covered. I really appreciate it!