I still remember the moment I woke up in that hospital room back in April 2019, draped in a violently purple gown I had no memory of putting on. The panic attacks had been building for months, but it took that hospital stay - costing me about $1,200 over two days - to make me realize how completely my life had unraveled. Yet in that strange space where nothing was expected of me, I discovered something unexpected: the foundation for what I now call the TIPTOP-God of Fortune principles. It's funny how sometimes our lowest moments become the very experiences that teach us how to cultivate better luck.

Much like my experience with the video game Blue Prince - which remains one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had - improving your fortune isn't about finding some magical shortcut. Blue Prince taught me that valuable things are often "accessible and impenetrable, frustrating and euphoric" all at once. The same applies to building better fortune in life. My first strategy involves what I call "structured detachment." When I was in that hospital, completely removed from the working population, I discovered the power of creating intentional spaces where nothing is expected of you. I now schedule what I call "fortune hours" - 90-minute blocks where I step away from all responsibilities. During these periods, I've stumbled upon game-changing business ideas and formed connections that increased my income by approximately 34% last quarter. It's the paradox of fortune: sometimes you have to stop chasing it to let it find you.

The second strategy emerged from my dozens of permutations through Blue Prince's Mount Holly manor house. Each playthrough was different, yet each followed certain patterns. I've applied this to what I call "patterned flexibility" in pursuing opportunities. Rather than rigidly following one path, I maintain what statistics show is about 7 core principles while remaining open to unexpected variations. This approach has led me to opportunities I would have otherwise missed - including the chance to consult for companies I admire, which now constitutes about 40% of my professional work. The third strategy involves what I've termed "grateful anticipation." Remembering that absurd feeling of gratitude in the hospital despite my circumstances, I begin each day listing three specific things I'm grateful for and three opportunities I'm open to receiving. This isn't just positive thinking - it's about training your mind to recognize fortune when it appears.

My fourth strategy came from understanding why I found that hospital experience simultaneously terrifying and desirable. The complete removal from expectations created space for new possibilities. I now intentionally create what I call "expectation-free zones" - times and places where I'm not trying to achieve anything specific. These have become my most fertile ground for unexpected fortunate encounters and ideas. The final strategy is what makes the TIPTOP system work: implementation. Knowledge without action is like having a map you never consult. I dedicate at least 30 minutes daily to acting on at least one opportunity, no matter how small. This consistent action has compounded over time, creating what I estimate to be a 200% increase in what most people would call "luck" in my life over the past three years.

What I've discovered through applying these five strategies is that fortune isn't entirely random - it's a dance between preparation and openness, between structure and spontaneity. Just as Blue Prince remains "truly one of a kind," so too is everyone's path to better fortune. These strategies work because they respect your unique circumstances while providing a framework that actually works. The purple hospital gown I woke up in became an unlikely symbol of transformation for me - a reminder that sometimes our greatest fortunes emerge from what initially appear to be our greatest misfortunes.