Using the Power of Serendipity to Achieve Your Goals

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that life doesn’t always go as planned. 

Many of us woke up to a new reality without a job or steady paycheck.

We were forced to change our social habits, workspaces, and holiday celebrations.

We suffered countless, unnecessary losses at the hands of our administration. Both from violence and the Coronavirus. 

2020 was also a year of serendipity. 

We learned to stay open to changing work habits, responsibilities, opportunities, and regulations.

We learned to pivot our businesses to adapt to virtual work or changing client needs.

We awakened to new opportunities to improve equity and justice in our work and personal lives.

We shifted our goals to accommodate new ways of being, new ways of working, and new ways of learning.

As much as we tried to hold on to our old ways of being and our old goals, the Universe had other plans for us. 

For better or worse, we’re in a different place in 2021 than we were when we started 2020. 

We can lean on the power of serendipity to help us stay open to new opportunities and chance encounters that can realign us to who we’re meant to be.

Here’s how to use the power of serendipity to achieve your goals:

What is Serendipity?

Serendipity is the occurrence of unexpected events by chance, often for our own benefit. You might have experienced this when thinking of a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile, and that friend sends you a text message.

You might also experience this when you’ve been planning for one course of action, or you’re focused on one specific goal, yet another opportunity presents itself that’s even better than what you could have imagined for yourself.

The power of serendipity lies in the unexpected. The proverb, “we plan, God laughs,” sums it up pretty well. Although we have free will and can plan ahead and set goals for ourselves, we can’t always see the future ahead of us.

And, our destiny isn’t fixed. We may find ourselves heading down one career path for most of our lives, making progress, getting promoted. Then one day, we wake up and realize it’s not what we want anymore. Or, fate jumps in and presents us with a new job opportunity, seemingly out of the blue.

Serendipity can also mean unexpectedly finding something good. Like when you find a $20 bill in a coat you haven’t worn for years. You forgot it was there, but it presented itself to you in an auspicious way.

Another notable example of serendipity is the discovery of penicillin. In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a researcher at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, returned from a two-week vacation to find that mold had grown on all of the petri dishes he was using to study staphylococcus bacteria.

At first, he thought he made a mistake because he hadn’t properly stored the petri dishes before leaving for vacation. But upon further inspection, he realized the mold was actually preventing the growth of the bacteria, leading to the discovery of penicillin.

Fleming was likely expecting to find destroyed samples, a reprimand from his supervisor, and a ruined experiment. Instead, he found the unexpected: a new course of action to develop the world’s first antibiotic.

Be Open to the Unexpected

One of my favorite examples of experiencing serendipity in my own life is when I met my husband, Blake. I had recently graduated from college and moved back home to Pennsylvania to be closer to my dad, who had lung cancer.

I worked at the hospital where he was being treated, and I got to know his doctors really well. At the time, I planned to go to medical school, so working with them helped me gain experience and letters of recommendation.

One of my dad’s surgeons got an opportunity to start a new practice in upstate New York. She asked me to come with her and be her office manager. I jumped at the opportunity – this was exactly what I needed to round out my medical experience.

At the same time, I was working part time at a hibachi restaurant in the Poconos to make some extra money. I had only been there for a few months when I met Blake. We started talking about Buddhism and psychology (I worked on the behavioral health unit, and he used to work with children with Autism), and I felt a nudge. 

Something told me this was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up. I was completely focused on my career, not even thinking about a relationship, yet that nudge got stronger when I thought about moving to New York. Something told me to stay and see what happened.

More than ten years later, Blake and I are married and living our dream lives together. I’m not sure if it was “love at first sight,” but it was certainly serendipity. I was focused on one specific goal (my career), yet I was open to possibility.

When you stay open to possibility, new opportunities step in to present themselves. One way I like to incorporate this into my goal planning is with the phrase, “or something better.”

For example: “I will make an extra $1,000 per month by December 31, or something better.” Or: “I will become a licensed social worker by May 1, or something better.”

We often limit ourselves to what we think we can get or what feels realistic to us. And by doing so, we can’t always see another path or another option. “Or something better” allows you to stay open to unexpected possibilities without trying to force something to happen.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing in a given moment. It's about observing the moment without judgment and not being overly reactive to or overwhelmed by what's going on around us.

We all have this ability to be present, and by strengthening it with daily practice, we're more able to tap into its powers when we need it - like paying attention to serendipity.

Each time you bring your awareness (or pay attention) to your environment or what you're doing by using your five senses, you're being mindful. You're also practicing mindfulness when you bring your awareness to your inner world - what you're thinking or feeling at a given moment.

It's a simple practice, yet it's not always easy. By committing to yourself and to a daily mindfulness practice, you'll build on your natural ability to be mindful. And in turn, you'll build awareness to the unexpected, yet beneficial, moments in your life.

Mindfulness helps you stay open to unexpected opportunities, because you’ll be more likely to notice them. Opportunities can pass us by if we’re not looking for them, so practicing mindfulness allows you to acknowledge the opportunity and choose to pursue it.

Related: 3 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Cope with Uncertain Times

Ask for a Sign

Once you start practicing mindfulness, you’ll be able to spot serendipity when it happens in your life. That chance encounter with someone in line at the grocery store might turn into a career or business opportunity.

The three-page blog you thought you lost when your computer crashed might just make room for even more profound insights, lessons, and wisdom to come through (I hate when this happens, but it always turns out for the better!).

But how can you know for sure if what you’re experiencing is serendipity, or if it’s just a coincidence? You can ask the Universe for a sign.

I learned this practice from Gabby Bernstein in her book The Universe Has Your Back. It’s a simple and fun exercise you can do whenever you’re looking for a little more guidance or if you want to know if you’re on the right path. 

You can ask for a sign to know if the serendipitous event you just experienced is something you should pursue, or if it’s better to continue with your original plan.

To start, choose a sign. It can be anything – an animal, a flower, a lucky number or sequence of numbers, a certain symbol or object. Choose something that you’re not likely to see every day, something that’s a bit rare.

My sign is a fox. I struggled for a long time to find the “perfect” sign. I would put a lot of pressure on myself to find something meaningful yet rare. Something I wouldn’t expect to see. A few things came to mind, but I never felt connected to them. And I never saw them when I asked for a sign.

Then, one day, as I was working on what I call my “Debt Freedom Plan,” (aka my budget), I saw a text in our neighborhood safety app about foxes in the neighborhood. I got excited and said out loud, “I wish the fox would come to our house! I’d love to see one up close!” And I didn’t think about it again.

Later that same day, I received funds in the exact amount to pay off one of my loans. I was so focused on paying off my credit cards that I didn’t even think about my personal loan. I reveled in the serendipity of the moment and thanked the Universe for intervening and showing me “or something better.”

The next day, I got my sign. As I was making my morning coffee, I spotted a beautiful fox behind our house. I watched her for awhile, and it looked like she was waiting for something. Then she ran to the front yard and laid down in the grass. Soon after, a second fox trotted over to join her. Not one, but two amazing foxes showed up for me!

Let your sign come easily to you. Don’t force it. Choose the first thing that enters your mind and stick with it. Then, ask the Universe to show you your sign whenever you need support, guidance, or want to know if you’re on the right path.

Then, be patient! The Universe works on divine timing – you may not get your sign right away, and that’s okay! Continue being mindful and paying attention to the little things. Keep moving forward with your goals and actions, and your sign will be revealed when the time is right.

You may not get your sign at all. And that’s a sign too! You might need to choose something more in alignment with your values. Or, like me, you might wait for a sign to present itself to you. It might also mean that you need to reevaluate your actions, decisions, or next steps. It’s not to say that the decision you made was wrong; it’s a chance to check in with yourself, take stock of your progress, and refresh your goals as needed.

Revisit Your Goals

Now that you’re practicing mindfulness, paying attention to serendipity, and asking the Universe for your sign, it’s time to revisit your goals. 

When a serendipitous event leads you to a new opportunity, it’s a chance to refresh your plans. Is the new opportunity still in alignment with your priorities and core values? Is it in alignment with your goals for the year, or is it time to set new goals based on this new information? 

It’s also a great opportunity to journal about this experience or write it in a list of accomplishments. Sometimes, we forget about the good or unexpected things that happen to us, so a written account helps us remember our experiences and achievements.

Related: How to Set Your New Year’s Goals the Right Way

The Takeaway

Setting clear, actionable goals helps you focus on achieving what’s important to you. Staying open to the power of serendipity helps you remain flexible when things don’t go as planned, or when you’re invited to an even better opportunity. We can’t always see the path ahead, so practicing mindfulness and paying attention to the small things helps steer us in the right direction.

Take action now: Start with a mindfulness practice. Throughout the day, pay attention to your thoughts, images you see, or phrases you hear. Notice what you haven’t noticed before. Did you see or hear something that could help you achieve your goals? Then, choose your sign. Don’t think too much about it – choose the first thing that comes to mind. Ask the Universe to show you your sign whenever you want to know if you’re experiencing serendipity.

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