Life, liberty and the pursuit of opportunity

Some people are born with opportunities, others make them and some walk straight past them.  I love hearing stories of people who achieve great heights in the face of adversity, but it makes me think – how did they see the opportunity and what made them grab it when they saw it?

I recently read Trevor Noah’s fantastic book ‘Born a Crime’. In the book Trevor Noah describes the day-to-day logistical issues that apartheid in South Africa created, but also the lack of access to opportunities within certain communities, in his case not just the township but also apartheid itself.  Yet, at the incredibly young age of 33 and without any formal higher education, Trevor Noah became part of an exclusive group of exceptional writers, comedians and the host of Comedy Central’s award winning ‘The Daily Show’.  How did he find his opportunities, especially when the odds were so heavily stacked against him?

And it is not just Trevor Noah; think about the many who have managed to achieve so much when the odds were stacked against them and none of it seemed possible.  I often listen to Tony Robbins and Oprah and I love to hear how they both seem to have had a specific moment of realisation, that they could do more – be more.  However, that realisation was not enough to create an opportunity, especially from  nothing, they had to create the opportunity, so  how do you do that?

I love the clip by “Tom Bilyeu – Take Action”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV58kfaaz2Y.  It sounds simple, and  like most great ideas, it really is; take action, just start. Do something, anything, take the first step however small it is or appears to be.  With that first step you start to create your opportunities.  It is what I say to people who want to start a business, once you have a plan just take the first step and the second step will follow. 

For me, it was just that, step by step.  I decided to write a basic business plan, then over the year I talked about it, played around with it and then talked about it some more.  One night my friend came over for dinner and asked if I could take her through my plan and at the end of the presentation, she asked if she could join.  I was elated.  I had found my partner in crime.  But that still did not create our full opportunity or potential.  We had to talk to more people, we cold-called people, attended events, persuaded people that we should be speaking at the events, read books on business, wrote blogs, made more plans, wrote endless pitches, proposals and bids.  We took action. Slowly action turned into opportunity and opportunity into leads and we were on our way. 

Secondly, I often hear that opportunities are created when you have ‘drive and determination’.  Yes, you need drive and determination to ensure that you persevere with the opportunity you have just grabbed.  Nothing, and I mean nothing can be achieved without drive and determination.  This means you need to have the ability to dig deep when the going gets tough and it does, in many cases when you are trying to reach for something big.  However, I would also ask how you assess risk, manage stress and deal with hard work.  This is also incredibly important, because with opportunity comes all of the above and more. 

Thirdly, I constantly think about the opportunities education creates.  Education is not just about formal education but the education you receive after a day at school.  Just reading about Trevor Noah, Tony Robbins and Oprah’s path and the paths of other successful, inspirational individuals, a common thread is that they read, they see and they study the world around them.  This thirst for knowledge means that they have the ability to understand new and complex theories and how to connect and create new opportunities.  They also understand how to think outside the box.  In life you will hit a brick wall on many occasions, but each obstacle is an opportunity to manoeuvre, to think outside the box to get better, more creative and to create and chase more opportunities.

Lastly, confidence is essential to help create opportunities.  Lack of confidence can have a significant impact on how you ‘take action’ and ‘assess/manage risk’, and this can be fundamental to  realising an opportunity.  What is fascinating is how quickly you can build on your confidence.  A few quick wins can develop your confidence and will enable you to take the next step and the next. 

It is the start of 2018 and as with most new years, we think about the year ahead.  What will the new year bring?  Which opportunities will present themselves? Will I have any opportunities?  Yes, some people are born with them, but you can also create your own.  Remember that being presented with opportunities is not the end of the road but just the beginning.  Find your own path, take action, be determined, have a thirst for knowledge and be confident in your abilities.  I know it is a cliché, but life is short and it is essential that you make the most of it.  Let 2018 be the year the impossible becomes possible.