The Shape of Opportunity

by Stuart Rosen

Opportunity comes in many shapes and sizes. It looks different for every person. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn't. When opportunity is coming our way, we can get ready to take it, by shaping ourselves up for success.

Assess the top level
Because opportunity is either far away, or comes by so suddenly, we don't get a chance to see all the details before we have time to act. The first thing to do is grab onto the top elements of the opportunity (such as "new job", or "attend a big event") so that we can identify it as an Opporuntity.

Evaluate quickly
What is the ONE reason why we should? Why we shouldn't? What is the ONE biggest risk of taking the opportunity? Of turning it down? This is not the time to overthink. Think too much and the opportunity won't be there to take.

Decide the next step
With what little we have to go on, decide whether it's worth getting ready for. If it isn't, let's move on without regret. If it is worth pursuing, then let's get going immediately!

Measure it realistically
This can be the tricky one because it requires us to be completely honest. Good, bad and indifferent. It is better to be more confident than not; better to try than live with disappointment... but we have to be sure this is something we can do, as much as we want to be able to do. Both cockiness and low self-esteem are not invited.

Adapt to rise up
Like a baseball that's just been hit, we can position ourselves to catch it. As the opportunity gets closer, we can keep making adjustments. Do I need to add (education) or delete (restraint)? or just accentuate a few things here and there? Remember, if we're a square, we just have to turn a little to become a diamond.

Persist, persist, persist
Once we grab the opportunity, we really have to keep going. Now's the time we've been waiting for, now we have the chance to prove ourselves.

Now is the time for us!


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