We all know that person who just has the worst luck. It’s like they somehow manage to hit every possible bump in the road, almost like the universe has it out for them. Most of the time, what looks like bad luck is actually a pattern of habits they don’t even realize are working double-time against them.
Nobody makes the right choices all the time, and plenty of unfortunate things happen that are completely out of our control. Still, the little things we do every day affect what we notice about the problems we keep running into. Certain habits can actually create the very misfortune people feel like they can’t escape.
People who seem to have absolutely terrible luck tend to have these habits that slowly create misfortune.
1. They make the same mistakes
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Some people get stuck in a never-ending rerun of their own life. They date the same type of people or make the same money mistakes over and over again. Then, when things inevitably go sideways, they chalk it up to terrible luck.
At some point, it becomes a familiar pattern that needs breaking. Making decisions where they know what to expect feels comfortable, even when the outcome is less than ideal, but they’re bound to end up at the same dead end if they keep taking the same road.
2. They ignore red flags
People who feel like nothing ever goes their way have a remarkable talent for explaining away the things that should make them pause. They overlook questionable behavior or convince themselves that a risky choice will work out until they’re left dealing with a mess they could have seen coming from a mile away.
Ignoring red flags just turns small problems into much bigger ones, leaving them with unnecessary stress or broken trust. Their downfall is usually giving questionable situations the benefit of the doubt, but they still keep on doing it.
3. They focus on what could go wrong
Before self-sabotaging people try something new, they’ve probably already imagined every possible way things could fall apart. A little caution can be good, but always expecting the worst makes it impossible to recognize when something is going right.
This kind of thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They avoid taking chances and walk away from opportunities before they have a chance to grow. Suddenly, life starts feeling like one unlucky break after another.
4. They pass up opportunities
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People who get in their own way typically talk themselves out of good opportunities before they even give them a chance. They always find a reason to wait for something better or get more experience before committing. Before they know it, the time has passed, and they’re left feeling quite unlucky.
Fear of failure can be sneaky like that. It often disguises itself as being realistic or just waiting until the timing feels right, but constantly playing it safe can mean missing out on possibilities that could genuinely improve life. Not every opportunity will work out, but it’s unreasonable to expect good things to happen when they’re never given room to.
5. They don’t take responsibility
People who attract one problem after another can easily make up an explanation for why things go wrong, and somehow, it’s never their fault. They blame an unreliable friend or just plain old bad luck.
While plenty of life’s frustrations really are out of our control, not acknowledging their own role makes it nearly impossible to do anything differently. Taking responsibility means being honest enough to recognize when your own actions are contributing to a problem and figuring out how to avoid repeating it. People who never do this tend to get stuck in the same cycles, then wonder why nothing ever changes.
6. They make impulsive decisions
Some people refuse to take a moment to think things through when making a decision. They just let whatever they’re feeling in the moment take the wheel. When the consequences show up later (and they surely will), they call it another cruel twist of fate.
A little patience makes all the difference between a smart risk and an entirely avoidable situation. Someone who constantly acts first and thinks later may feel like they’re unlucky, when they’re actually just making life harder for themselves.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.