In business, life moves fast. You have to be ready at the drop of a hat to go with the flow. In this every changing landscape of social media and new tech start ups, we never really know what the next business trend is going to be. That is why when an opportunity come along, be ready to go with it – after all it could be your next big thing.
First of all we need to know what is an opportunity. An opportunity can be best described as a chance to grow, change and learn. How can we advance our career if we don’t take a chance when we are presented with it. Growth and advancement only comes with self development. Opportunities can can turn into chances to develop new skills. Without self development we tend to stay hidden in the bushes where no one can find us. Being in business ,we should not be afraid to be seen. After all how are people going to know about you if you are not visible?. Here are my top 5 reasons on why you should not overthink opportunities.
1. Its time to step outside your comfort zone -nothing good happens standing in one place
Your comfort zone is your safe place. Its where you feel in control and you know what to do. What if I told you that the real magic starts top happen when you challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone? I know being comfortable is a wonderful thing, but unfortunately its not the way to grow. Most opportunities present themselves as a challenge, they are usually something we have never seen before and are a frightening thought. So by taking a leap into the magic zone, you will propel yourself to greater heights within your business. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you will learn new skills and be inspired and challenged to take your business to the next level. Think of it as a reboot for your mindset.
2. No wondering ‘what if’…
We have all been there when something too good to be true pops out of nowhere and we are hesitant to take up the offer. Then after refusing we spend our time thinking “what if”. This is classic over thinking. You keep asking yourself what if I did take the opportunity? What would have happened if I had said yes? What direction would it have taken me?. You then spend hours on end thinking if you have made the right decision without really knowing. In the process of all this over thinking your mindset has changed, you have lost focus ,and you feel lost you have essentially created more drama then necessary. If you took the opportunity ,you would be more focused and less thinking of what could have been. What’s the worst that can happen?
3. Flexibility is the key
In todays business world you need to have a certain degree of flexibility. You need to go with the flow and not be too ridged in your ways. IF an opportunity presents itself, then go for it. Taking an opportunity shows others that you are indeed flexible and open to new ideas. Don’t be afraid to deviate off your planned path. Sometimes a detour is just what you need.
4 Meet new and interesting people
I was invited to an APP launch. I was hesitant to go as my company is not even in the tech space. But I went and met some amazing people. I saw the opportunity to get out, and meet others. It was this event that made me think – How can you meet people if you don’t leave your office? Yes I know there are online groups you can join, but the sheer pleasure of face to face communication can really help you to expand your horizon.
There are so many networking events (Just check meetup to find one in your area) Meeting people can lead to all sorts of great opportunities. Imagine if you found your next lead at a cocktail party? Or you met someone who is in the same industry who can act as your mentor? Don’t be shy! Get out from behind your desk and go for it! The world is full of interesting people and you are not going to be able to meet them if you overthink and don’t take a chance.
5 Learn learn learn!
There is a saying that the magic happens outside your comfort zone. The same can be said for learning. You cant learn new things if you keep doing the same thing over and over again. So when a new opportunity comes along, you should think of the learning possibilities that could come with it. Imagine talking on a new project that teaches you new skills. When you first looked at it, maybe you thought it was out of your scope of practice. But with an open mind, you soon discover its not as scary as you first thought. You dive in head first and in the process challenge yourself and learn some amazing new skills that can propel your business to the next level.
Opportunities come and go, its up to you to decide which ones to take and which to let go. Don’t over think the possibilities. While it may look like hard work or something your not entirely sure of, weigh up the pros and cons before you decide that its not for you. After all you might just discover your next big idea!
