One thing nobody tells you when you first start entering sweepstakes as a hobby is this: you have to turn on your reticular activator.

It is actually something you already use every day. Have you ever bought a new car and suddenly noticed the exact same model everywhere? Or learned a new word and then started hearing it constantly? That is your brain filtering information and highlighting certain things.

The same thing happens with sweepstakes.

Once you begin actively looking for giveaways, your brain starts spotting them everywhere.

At first, most people only enter contests they find on sweepstakes websites. That is a fantastic place to begin. But experienced contestors know there is an entire world of giveaways hiding out in plain sight.

I call them sweepstakes in the wild.

These are the contests you stumble across while living your everyday life. They are on product packaging, hanging from store shelves, printed on receipts, displayed on giant cardboard towers in grocery stores, taped to cooler doors, printed on coffee cups, and hidden on signs most shoppers walk right past.

Once your reticular activator switches on, you cannot unsee them.

You suddenly notice shelf talkers promoting a chance to win a trip. A sticker on a yogurt container offering instant prizes. A sign at the checkout counter advertising a cash giveaway. A PIN code on a bag of chips leading to a contest nobody else seems to notice.

And some of these contests may have fewer entries than the giveaways everyone finds online. Why? Because most people are not paying attention.

They walk through stores focused on their shopping list while contestors are scanning the environment for opportunities. It becomes second nature after a while. You stop seeing packaging as just packaging and start seeing possibilities everywhere.

That does not mean you need to obsess over every sign or buy every product attached to a giveaway. It simply means becoming aware. Training yourself to notice opportunities that were always there.

The longer you are a sweeper, contestor, or comper, the stronger your reticular activator becomes.

I cannot tell you how many times I have found amazing contests simply by paying attention. Some of my best wins started with a random sign in a store or a small sticker on a package.

That is why I always tell new contestors: winning starts before you even enter. It starts with a sweeper’s mind. One that believes it can win.

The more open you are to spotting opportunities, the more opportunities seem to appear.

So next time you are out shopping, grabbing coffee, filling up your gas tank, or wandering through the grocery store, keep your eyes open. You never know what giveaway might be hiding right in front of you.

And that one contest could lead to your best win yet.