Many articles and books describe serendipity as a pleasant surprise or random chance. Far fewer explain how to intentionally create more of it. The authors below offer practical exercises, routines, and worksheets that help you notice, invite, and act on serendipity in daily life, work, or business. They move beyond theory and provide tools you can start using right away.
1. Christian Busch — The Serendipity Mindset
Book link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611516/the-serendipity-mindset-by-christian-busch-phd/
Christian Busch provides the strongest and most comprehensive collection of practical exercises available. His book and companion materials offer routines that help individuals and organizations generate what he calls smart luck. Examples of his exercises include:
- Journaling about recent serendipitous moments
- Reframing setbacks to uncover possible opportunities
- Sending unexpected follow-ups after conversations or networking
- Using introductions that highlight several interests or projects
- Adding weekly prompts to team meetings such as “Did anything surprising happen this week”
- Tracking new opportunities in a simple serendipity scorecard
His Serendipity Workout materials and playbooks give readers repeatable practices for building awareness and action into everyday life.
2. David Adler, James Cornehlsen, and Andrew Frothingham — Harnessing Serendipity
This book is written for leaders and facilitators who want to create environments where surprise encounters are more likely. The authors provide templates and worksheets for shaping group dynamics. Their activities include:
- Bringing together groups that do not usually interact
- Designing meeting formats that reward spontaneity
- Encouraging shared rituals that lead to new connections
It is a practical and accessible guide for increasing serendipity at the group or community level.
3. Allyson Apsey — The Path to Serendipity
Book link: https://allysonapsey.com/books/the-path-to-serendipity/
Allyson Apsey offers reflective and personal exercises that help readers find meaning in adversity and turn disruptions into growth. Her prompts include:
- Journaling setbacks and the lessons they reveal
- Practicing gratitude for unexpected insights
- Using personal stories to recognize how small events open new paths
Her work reminds readers that serendipity often appears in ordinary moments that are easy to overlook.
4. Serendipity Circles — Alive, Aware, Awake Journal
Book link: https://serendipitycircles.com/project/buy-the-book/
The Alive, Aware, Awake Journal helps readers build awareness and strengthen what the authors describe as serendipity muscles. Exercises include:
- Daily prompts for noticing coincidences
- Weekly reflection pages for identifying patterns
- Check-ins for tracking follow-up on unexpected opportunities
This workbook gives readers a structured approach to noticing, recording, and acting on meaningful surprises.
5. Alisa Cohn (Forbes) — Serendipity Strategies
Article link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisacohn/2021/12/20/5-surprising-ways-to-make-your-own-serendipity/
Alisa Cohn shares simple, actionable habits that increase the likelihood of positive chance encounters. Her strategies include:
- Talking to strangers
- Asking open-ended, curiosity driven questions
- Breaking familiar routines
- Leaving small pockets of unscheduled time
These small behaviors help create more openings for surprising discoveries.
Summary
Across these authors and resources, several themes appear again and again:
- Serendipity grows when you reflect on small unexpected moments and track them over time.
- It thrives through curiosity, conversation, and diverse relationships.
- It flourishes when you reframe setbacks and leave room in your day for the unplanned.
Christian Busch’s The Serendipity Mindset is the best starting point for repeatable, research-backed exercises. The other authors provide additional worksheets, prompts, and tools that help you create the conditions where serendipity can appear more often.
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