2 – Finding Opportunities in Life

Are You Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity in Life?

How are you finding your opportunities?

Step 1: Define
What is an Opportunity?

An opportunity is a chance to change your circumstances for the better. So this sounds wonderful?

Let’s dig deeper – many opportunities come across as disguised as issues or problems. However they can be opportunity and can be seen as a challenge or a test.

How do you shift your perspective and see problems? The moment we shift our perspective and see opportunities as a challenge instead of a problem is when we can move forward.

Step 2: Identify
How to Identify Opportunities

Ok let’s face it we live in a world that is chaos and how we need to identify opportunities in a very unclear world. We have to know what we are looking for .. Think like a bunch of puzzle pieces and we have to find a piece and think of how you would ask for that piece … it has yellow and it is a shape of a T… Sometimes the piece is not exactly what you were expecting and it may be smaller and less of a yellow color but it still works. Once you start to build upon the puzzle – you can make a clearer picture.

Some of the best opportunities you’ll ever get are ones you’ll find when you’re looking for something else.

Remember think about the glass as always full of opportunities even if they are challenges. So even though it may be murky water and you can’t see what direction you need to go. This is like a previous episode we did to find your North Star… But let’s dig deeper … what questions can you ask to start to identify these opportunities:

• How will I know when it presents itself?
• What specifically does this opportunity look like?
• What is it that I’m looking for?
• What is it that I want to achieve?

Step 3: Clear Vision
Have Clear Criteria

Just like comets is a solar system they come along the time all the time.

It is good to have a set of criteria of what comet you want to jump on. SO some good questions to ask :

• If I refuse this opportunity, does that close off others in the future?
• Does this take me closer to my ultimate goal? Or further?
• If it did open up to something larger, would that be something I was prepared to pursue?
• What benefits will it give me?
• Does this have the potential to open up to something larger, or is it clearly a one-off?
• What costs are involved?

Step 4: Don’t let Small set you Back
Don’t overlook Small Opportunities

When you only get 5 people to RSVP to a karaoke party? Even though many people gave a verbal it would it more – do you show up on time, do you have a good time, are you easy to get on with? Or do you look bigger and turn around and invite more people that may have fun too?

I took small projects that turned into much larger ones. Also, I also took small projects that didn’t go anywhere else – but that I learned interesting and useful lessons from the experience anyway.

Step 5: Be Ready To Catch the Opportunity

Do you have an “opportunity reserve”? So you can act on opportunities when they arrive.

Think in the future.

• Could you take time from your current work?
• Would you be able to survive financially?
• What other responsibilities would someone else have to take over temporarily?
• So …..What do you have that you can turn into opportunities?

Step 6: Develop The opportunistic Mindset

Focus on making your mind an engine for opportunity: Are you any of the following?

• Optimism:Can you stay on course even though there may have been a misstep?
• Curiosity:Are you asking deeper probing questions?
• Generosity:Do you give back to others?
• Perseverance:Do you tackle your challenges? Or do you hide and not take accountability?
• Gratitude:Can you restructure a sentence to show how grateful you are?
• Confidence:Do you doubt any of your skills or abilities?.
• Playfulness:Are you willing to be a little creative; willing to think outside the box, and willing to break conventional rules?
• Responsibility:Are you committed to resolving the problem? Are you accountable? Or do you blame others?

Step 7:
Become a people person

Relationships are key. Most challenges have answers that you are searching for have people or experts behind them. They can help you move forward and get you there further and faster. Just like in the book Sage My Life by Glenna Crooks – she quotes a proverb … “if you want to get there slow go alone, if you want to get there fast go together.”

• Who knows me?
• How can I enhance this relationship?
• Who do I know that can help me?
• How strong is our relationship?

You must continuously work on building and strengthening your relationships on a daily basis. The more you are willing to give to others, the more easily opportunities will come your way during those trying difficult times.

Step 8:
Identify the obstacles or limiting beliefs in Your Way

First of all take a look at your beliefs and identify if there are any unhelpful or limiting beliefs that could prevent you from taking advantage of opportunities:

• What beliefs may prevent me from seizing opportunities?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• What weaknesses could prevent me from identifying new opportunities? How specifically could they impede me?
• What strengths could support me with discovering opportunities? How specifically could they benefit me?
• What is my risk tolerance? How much am I willing to risk? How much am I willing to potentially lose?

Do an assessment and a ‘wake-up call’ to work on that confidence to conquer taking on an opportunity. Work on creating that desire to move forward and think big.

Step 9:
Things to Avoid

Don’t do the following when it comes to an opportunity …

• Waiting for opportunities to arrive.
• Following the crowd.
• Seeking security and comfort.
• Letting the fear of rejection or fear of making mistakes over ride your mind …

You have to fight for your opportunity that you want, it may need to take a few chances, and as such you must leave your fear behind because this exact opportunity may never present itself again.

Step 10: Learn from the opportunity

Learn from the past and every opportunity you take …

• How could I do better next time?
• What can I learn from this?
• What went right?
• What went wrong?

Step 11: Think Bigger & Take Action

You must think BIGGER! Not just big but BIGGER!

How are you going to show up?

Take Action

Weigh the pros and cons and create a plan of action that will support your actions.

Don’t rush, don’t get emotional and have a Plan B if it doesn’t work out.

Ask yourself:

• Does it feel right?
• What is the outcome I want to achieve?
• Will this opportunity help or hinder me?
• Will I get this opportunity again?
• What are the benefits?
• What are the drawbacks?
• Is the outcome under my direct control?
• If it’s not under my direct control, then who controls it, and how can I influence them?
• What is the risk that I would be taking?
• What is the opportunity cost? What must I potentially sacrifice to take advantage of this?
• Is this the right time and place to do this?
• How do I know this is the right time and place?
• Do I have the necessary resources and experience to pull this off?
• Who could assist me with this?

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