Serendipity: The art of finding awesome things you weren’t looking for ...but kind of were.
Let’s talk about one of life’s sneakiest little tricks: serendipity.
It’s that magical moment when you’re chasing one thing, and stumble upon something even better. You’re looking for your keys, and you find those sunglasses you’d lost. You go to the bookstore for a novel, and leave with a business idea. You take a wrong turn and discover the best coffee of your life. You weren’t planning on it, but you were open enough to notice when it showed up.
Here’s the secret nobody tells you: serendipity doesn’t just “happen.” It visits the open-minded.
Set the goal. Loosen the grip.
Having a goal? Awesome. Powerful. Necessary. But gripping that goal too tightly? That’s where things get tricky.
When you’re so focused on one outcome, it’s easy to miss the magic happening just outside your tunnel vision. But if you loosen your grip, just a little, and keep your eyes (and mind) open, weird and wonderful things start popping up.
It’s like heading out to find gold, and accidentally tripping over a diamond.
Your brain is a treasure-hunting machine (when you let It be)
Our brains are wild. Once you tell them what you want, they start scanning the world like curious little radar dishes. It's like when you think about buying a red car… suddenly, red cars are everywhere. They were always there, but now your brain is tuned in. But the real magic happens when you give them room to play.
That means:
- Saying “yes” to things that don’t quite fit the plan — like going to a random meet-up after work and ending up in a conversation that sparks your next business idea.
- Following strange ideas down weird rabbit holes — e.g. allowing yourself to ask open questions and researching them, like What if… objects could share their memories?
- Letting curiosity sit in the driver’s seat every now and then — like signing up for a pottery class just for fun, and realizing that the way you approach clay mirrors how you handle uncertainty in your creative work.
This is where breakthroughs live. Not in the perfect plan, but in the playful detour.
Science, accidents & happy surprises
Some of the greatest discoveries in history? Total “oops” moments.
- Penicillin? A scientist went on holiday and forgot to clean up. Boom: antibiotics.
- Post-it Notes? A failed attempt at superglue.
- Potato chips? A chef trying to annoy a picky customer. (God bless them.)
These didn’t happen because people were lazy. They happened because people were curious enough to notice when something odd was going on… and brave enough to explore it.
Curiosity is a magnet for good stuff
Want to increase your serendipity levels? Here’s your very scientific to-do list:
- Talk to new people – They know things you don’t.
- Try weird stuff – Even if it doesn’t “make sense.”
- Keep a curiosity notebook – Or napkin. Or voice note.
- Say “why not?” more often – It’s fun, and mildly rebellious.
- Take the scenic route – Literally or metaphorically. You never know.
The real secret: be open while aiming forward
The trick is to move through life with a direction in mind, but eyes wide open. Serendipity shows up when you’re curious, present, and just a little off-course.
So chase your goals like a rocket... but leave a few windows open for stardust to sneak in.
You might not end up exactly where you planned. But trust me, it’ll be somewhere interesting.
