The Psychology of Luck: Why You're Not as Unlucky as You Think

From The Tutor Podcast by Neil Cowmeadow

June 4, 2026 · 14 min · Episode 429

About this episode

Neil Cowmeadow explores the concept of luck and how it relates to success in business, emphasizing that luck is often the result of hard work and specific traits.

Everyone keeps telling Neil how lucky he is — lucky to do what he loves, lucky to travel, lucky to work alongside his son. But what if "luck" is just a lazy word for the years of grind, sacrifice and uncommon decisions most people aren't willing to make? Recorded on the road in Osaka, Japan, this solo episode digs into whether luck is real at all. Neil unpacks a decade-long study by Dr Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire, which suggests lucky people aren't passive recipients of fate — they create their own fortune through identifiable, trainable traits. You'll learn the four research-backed characteristics that lucky people share — openness and flexibility, relaxed attention, trusting your intuition, and positive expectation — and how each one applies directly to building and growing your tutoring business. It's a practical, no-BS look at turning chance into opportunity. If you've ever been told you're "just lucky," this one's for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Reframe "luck" as the by-product of doing difficult, uncommon things — the risks, the work and the sacrifice that others simply aren't willing to take on. Cultivate openness and flexibility: staying open to new…

People in this episode

Host: Neil Cowmeadow

Topics covered

luck
psychology
entrepreneurship
tutoring business
opportunity
decision making

Keywords

luck
psychology of luck
entrepreneurship
tutoring
opportunity
Dr Richard Wiseman
traits of lucky people

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Hertfordshire

Places: Osaka