My plans rarely work (unless they are boringly simple), but serendipity has been good to me, so over time I've tried to make the most of that. My theory of serendipity is still evolving, but from what I've seen, it's better to think in terms of "allowing" serendipity rather than "seeking" it or "creating" it. Opportunity is all around us, but we have beliefs and habits that block it.The two biggest blocks to serendipity seem to be ego-fear and "other plans".
Rock on, @PaulToo, I couldn't agree more; one more reason why it pays off to not be a dick.