I’ve decided to share my thoughts on opportunity and how to deal with it when it shows up at your metaphorical door. I have been the recipient of many, many amazing opportunities. Some opportunities I spent a long time when they arrived it was a mix of preparation and “luck.”
Some opportunities arrived out of the blue and I just decided to embrace them. Opportunities sometimes are super obvious when they arrive, other times, you have to take a step back and recognize opportunity for what it is: a moment to grow, a challenge, a risk, etc.
Then, you have to decide if it’s your moment to take the opportunity. Be careful because if you say “yes” you have to embrace it with open arms. If you say “no” you might not get that chance again.
Some examples of opportunities knocking at my door:
- I was accepted into a fabulous professional development program in 2013-my supervisor at the time suggested that I wait a year to do it. I said no-I wanted to do it then! Glad I did, things changed and now the budget at my job would not cover my participation in the program
- I had the opportunity to travel for a year with Up With People-I had a pretty good scholarship to participate. I took it. Never regretted it, even though I had to come home for a month and work a little bit and return halfway through the year
- I had the opportunity to go to college with a pretty decent scholarship or I could have waited and worked a year to make money before I went to college. I took the money offered and I don’t regret it.
Things I’ve learned about opportunity
- Strike while the iron’s hot! You have a short time to decide if this is something you should do. Make the decision and own it. Then move on.
- Don’t over think it, if the situation is too complicated to manage then it’s probably not the time to do it. But if everything is flowing easily-do it! Basically, if everything is lining up in ways that you can’t even believe-as if the universe is shouting “DO THIS” then, then listen to what the “universe” is telling you.
There are very few opportunities that I haven’t taken when they have shown up at my door. I have very few regrets regarding the choices that I’ve made and I have become very good at listening to myself as I take time to assess is this something that I should do?
What do you do when opportunity knocks? Do you have an assessment process? Are there opportunities that you regret not taking? Are you glad that you didn’t take an opportunity that was presented to you? Why?
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I take the time to make decisions when opportunity arises. I tend to get excited easily at ideas of something without thinning things through. I recently turned down an opportunity where someone emailed me out of the blue and wanted me to redesign their jewelry store website. It was way over my head and I realize how much more I would have to know about wordpress. My gut told me it’s not the right time. I think your gut never lies.
I think that rushing to make a decision can really blind you from any issues that may arise in the course of pursuing any opportunity that may come up. I sometimes am too cautious when making a decision, and other times to reckless when making a decision. I’m trying to balance the decision making process to make sure I hit that Happy medium. Trusting my gut without wasting a lot of time in the process of making the final decision.
I think the most important point you made here is to make the decision and then own it. Life’s too short to focus on the ‘what if’s’, so no matter what happens down the track, you’ve got to accept that you made the best choice you could at the time with the information you had available to you. That’s something I really try to live by.
I have unfortunately, spent a lot of time over thinking decisions and as a result have wasted a lot of time where I could be making a transition to something. You’re completely right that you have to just make a decision, own, and move on. Life should always be safe.
I follow the rule: What do I think I will regret more – taking it or not?
Most of the time we regret chances we DiDN”T take.
I completely agree! Sometimes it just comes down to asking a very simple questions (to yourself!)
I just happened to stumble upon you blog and I love everything you talk about! I used to live in Colorado Springs and would visit Denver every so often, but now I live in Austin, Texas. I do miss Colorado at times though, the mountains and hiking trails are uncomparable. I just started following your blog on Bloglovin’ so keep posting your very inspirational and helpful articles! 🙂
You made my day! Austin is on my list of places to visit and I’m planning on going to SXSW this Spring. Thank you for your kind words and I will try my best.