Get All Access for $5/mo

Incorporate These 5 Habits to Take Advantage of the 'Highly Improbable' Adding a little chaos into your life may just present new opportunities.

By Clément Delangue Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Some people think they can, and should, plan their life. But let's face it, luck has a lot to do with most of the people we meet, most of the goals we achieve and most of the life that we live.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb goes even further by stating that the "highly Improbable," so-called "Black Swan events," run most of our world. Here are five daily habits you can incorporate into your life to encounter more of these events:

1. Walk the crowded streets. Most of the highly improbable events of your life happen because of people. You never know where you'll stumble upon the person of your dreams, your next mentor or a future employer or employee.

So avoid the empty street that will make you miss a potential opportunity.

2. Spend an hour every day to try things that "can't" work. Nobody knows what can or cannot work. Even worse, because most people think that something won't work, they don't try it. Take time for the things that "can't work just because." Prove "because" wrong. This is how startups -- the places where "this is a very, very bad idea," can lead to true innovation -- become the greatest companies in the world.

Related: Habits of the World's Wealthiest People (Infographic)

Freeing yourself from the constraint of making it work will not only allow you to relax and to become more creative in your thinking, but may also end up being your greatest success.

3. Change your routine every day. Doing things differently will allow you to challenge your own status quo to get a new perspective on your daily life. It will prevent you from merely guessing what changes can be made by forcing you to actually experiment, leading to unexpected discoveries.

4. Share things on social networks with no particular goal. With social networks, you can now share what's important to you in an instant. So let people know what you're doing and what you're thinking, because who knows what can happen? The cost of sharing -- reducing your privacy or going out on a limb with a new idea -- are far outweighed by the potential creation of opportunities.

5. Act improbably once a day. Today, I should have worked, I should have partied, I should have had dinner. I wrote this article instead. I hope it can be useful. But it was highly improbable that any major publication would ever publish it … right?

Related: 5 Tips for Generating Breakout Opportunities

Clément Delangue

Chief Marketing Officer at Curioos

Clément Delangue is the chief marketing officer of Curioos. Before joining Curioos, he worked for mention, as well as eBay after being one of the first French professional sellers at age 17. He also co-founded several startups, including UniShared and VideoNot.es.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Business News

New Southwest Airlines Major Investor Wants to Force Out CEO, Slams Company's 'Stubborn Unwillingness to Evolve'

Elliot Investment Management announced a $1.9 billion stake in the Dallas-based Southwest Airlines on Monday and is urging shareholders to vote for new leadership.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.

Business News

Elon Musk Threatens to Ban Employees from Using Apple Products, Says Will Lock Devices in 'Cages'

The Tesla founder sounded off on X following Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday.

Business News

Apple's AI Has a Catch — And It Could Help Boost Sales

Not every iPhone owner will get to use the new Apple Intelligence.

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.