How to Become a Hook for Opportunity

Don’t you just look at some people and think well they must be lucky, It seems like opportunities are always falling on their laps. It’s easy to blame the lack of opportunity for not being where you want to be in life. I had a conversation with one of my friends recently, the core of the conversation was on how one can set themselves up for an opportunity. Some might be quick to say good fortune/ luck. Well, the luck goddess has a formula it follows too and I will mention this later in the article. (picked it up from the richest man in Babylon and Compound Effect )

If you have been following this blog or if you are on a personal development journey I have good news for you because as John Maxwell says “Growth is the only guarantee that your tomorrow is going to get better”. The process of growth opens up opportunities because you begin to see life and situations with different lenses/perspectives. There are two main ways that I know will attract opportunities to you( Law of attraction, you are the major ingredient for attracting opportunities) preparation and showing up!

Preparation.

When opportunity comes it’s too late to prepare ~coach John Wooden. It’s crucial to prepare way beforehand, this allows you to recognize and grab opportunities. There is a popular saying: Success is when preparation meets opportunity. This is what happens 96% of the time even though sometimes we do not consciously realize that we prepared for the opportunity. Preparing for an opportunity can be as simple as developing new skills, getting a project management certificate, or even enhancing your current skills. If you desire to live in another country or translate one of your books to their language, make an effort to learn their language study their culture, etc that my friend is preparing to be a part of their community. Preparation time is never wasted time. I have never met a neuro-surgeon who mysteriously woke up operating on people’s brains but I have seen those that spent more than six years of their lives preparing for that one-hour surgery session. The reason why we think preparation is not crucial is that we tend to magnify the successful event of an individual whilst neglecting the behind the scenes. Today we see Econet ( biggest telecommunication company in Zimbabwe) as an overnight success but we tend to forget how Strive Masiwa invested in his knowledge for him to be able to meet up with the opportunity. Preparation time is never wasted time. Even performing artists spend months preparing for a 3-hour concert that ought to show you that you spent most of your life preparing for what you then consider your success.

You have skills that can bring the greatest breakthroughs but only if you continuously sharpen them in preparation for the opportunity. If you do something long enough you will end up an expert.

Showing Up.

There is a popular saying that goes 80% of success in life is just showing up. Showing up alone is a powerful habit that will serve you; you’ll achieve your goals and land opportunities that will turn your life around. Being consistently present for things that matter is showing up. It can be as simple as showing up for your family by listening to them, showing up at work by developing your skills, or simply choosing to go to a networking event instead of spending your day in bed watching Netflix. Commitment is closely related to showing up. If you commit to doing something DO IT, that’s showing up. It builds credibility and in-turn opens up opportunities for you.

Being in the right place at the right time allows you to seize opportunities

Luck Equation.

Most people think opportunity is based on the individual’s luck. In his book, The Compound Effect Darren Hardy speaks of the Luck equation. 
The (Complete) Formula for Getting Lucky:

Preparation (personal growth) + Attitude (belief/mindset) + Opportunity (a good thing coming your way) + Action ( showing up and doing something about it) = Luck

Prepare and Show up!

tanyafungai