Being smart is about making smart choices. Its about making the right decision, the right step or the right choice. Smart people move up the ladder real fast. They also are the ones that have great cars, lot of money, and everything else the rest of us desire.
And what does it tell us? Yes, it is all about making right choices and taking right steps just like turning up in the right place at the right time. We all know that. But this is theory, although I, and I think many others as well, would like to learn and hear more about practical steps with an appropriate level of abstraction and generalization so that they would be applicable to anyone. In other words, what you should do in practice that would count more toward working smart and less toward working hard. One approach I gave in OP, that is stick to places where your luck potential is at its highest.
I consider this thread a sort of practical guide toward working smarter.