What to do when we are met with opportunities? For better or Worse?

In some point in time, we are bound to meet with opportunities in our business, career or life. And the decisions that we made for all these opportunities are going to be an impact in our life at a later stage.

It could be anything like a decision for career switch, a decision for business start up, a decision for joint venture and partnering, a decision to migrate with your spouse to another country, etc. There are so many opportunities and options as we walk through the different stages of our lives.

We are more than often at the junction of whether to proceed and take off from the point from where we are at to the point where we want to be, or a point where we would just stay where we are. It is a tough call for some. And it is a gamble to others.

As humans, we are always putting ourself at the mercy of temptation; the picture that we paint in our mind, that the grass is greener at the other end, or the persuasive sayings and opinions of others, or the emotion appeal that was created as a result of temptation, which all sums up to in putting our brain in an unfavorable condition to make the real decision and see the whole picture.

What is the missing piece of puzzle?

The failure to weight the pros and cons under a condition of no disruption, or emotion to make us sway towards either sides of the options. Put it simply, we fail to position our mind and self being, on neutral grounds.

There is no right or wrong in any decision that we made, there is only the results that we are getting, and our ability to adapt to the outcome and accept the fact of the results.

What to do when we get any opportunity in our life?

Opportunity can come in a blessing in disguise or a torture in the long run when problem surfaces.

Here is how I would normally do when I meet with opportunity:

  1. Do not make a decision right away, without much thinking.
  2. Making a yes or no decision at the time of your offer is definitely a haste and rush decision. No unless you know where you are going and getting to, and the offer fits into your plan and not the benefit at the point in time.

  3. Get time to cool down.
  4. Let the inner self stay peaceful and not emotional. Only with a clear mind, can you be able to see things clearly. Angry, anxious, excited, or any emotional appeal, will blind your real vision.

  5. Cast away from the greener grass picture about the benefits, and start picturing what if the grass turns out to be a barren ground?
  6. As much as you think about the benefits you are getting, you need to think about the losses that you will face as a consequence as well. As much as success and failure is a line apart, weight your pros and cons, and calculate your risks as well.

  7. Calculate your risks.
  8. I am not asking you to be a pessimist, I am asking you to be able to know what are the consequences and risks that you will face or prepare to face, and looking it as the whole picture from an elevated angle view; not the partial picture that you program on your mind with only the benefits.

  9. Open your mind to other possibilities and alternatives.
  10. And when you have already got the whole picture, you will be able to figure out other possibilities and alternatives. Reposition your thoughts and stand.

  11. Make your decision, and accept the outcome of the result.
  12. And finally make your decision, and accept whatever the result that you would have anticipated in your consequences prior to that.

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2 Responses to “What to do when we are met with opportunities? For better or Worse?

  • MyAvatars 0.2
    1
    Aspen
    September 21st, 2007 01:58

    I’m sure there is a good place for your advice for someone who is not prepared. However, isn’t it our goal in business, and life as well, to try to be ready with adequate education and preparation so we are able to take advantage of the opportunities as they are presented to us? I know personally that being unprepared, I have had to let go of some opportunities. So we should strive to meet the opportunities as they arise. Too much thinking can get in the way and can lead to analysis paralysis but I’m am sure you already know that and take that into account.

    However, all that said, I really appreciate the part of number two above where you say to let the inner self stay peaceful. I think preparation and education will help with maintaining this state. Definitely you are correct in saying no decisions should be made when angry or upset.

  • MyAvatars 0.2
    2
    Joyce Leong
    September 21st, 2007 03:06

    I do agree with you that it is not our goal, to be ready and fully equipped with education and preparation to take advantage of the opportunities. Put it simply, opportunities will be never waiting for us to get ourselves prepared, and they never will come in order.

    Preparation (Skill set, Ability, etc) + Education + Opportunity = Best scenario

    With the best preparation, education and the right opportunity, this is going to be the best scenario and a better probability in success. And in fact, we don’t have to wait for opportunities to arrive at our doorstep, we can create the opportunities ourselves, with such excellent conditions.

    And of course on the other end of the extreme would be none of these presents, which we definitely know that the probability of success equals to 0. And anything in between, we will take on the possible risks and possible returns, the amount of risk that we are going and willing to accept.

    There are people who have to make million dollar decisions within a couple of minutes, while others may take to decide a job hop for a couple of days.

    Having said so, humans are differed by our personality, behaviour, culture, experience and thoughts, and it is definitely difficult to get everyone to take things into consideration before committing.

    My first point on “much thinking”, would simply means that we need to at least understand what are we going to lose, as much as our benefit within the process, as we sometimes tend to see things only from one-side.

    From the angle that we look at a mug, is not going to tell us, what is the content within the mug, not unless the mug is transparent or we change our viewing angles.

    And at the end of the day, no one is definitely going to invest in a bound to fail investment, isn’t it?

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