Are you ready?
ARE YOU READY?
Many years ago, I resigned from a job that I loved doing. My job satisfaction was 100%. My staff were the best. I had autonomy and authority to make decisions. I was proud of the deals I was making with customers. So why did I resign? It was a moral decision, based on my personal values and my self-worth. It was a difficult decision, but it was the right one for me.
I had a simple plan then - to focus on my basic financial needs, to pay my mortgage and provide necessities for my children. My decision meant life was going to be different. I was looking forward to a simpler lifestyle that allowed me to spend more time with my children and less time worrying about the peripheral things in life.
Things worked out differently!
What Does It Mean to Be Ready?
On learning of my impending departure from a project, one of my customers surprised me by offering me a work contract. This ‘unexpected’ situation rocked my plans, and I was forced to re-evaluate my decision.
In effect, the offer of a contract posed a question to me: are you ready?
I knew if I accepted the contract, my life would take a different direction to what I had envisioned upon resigning. I had never had a contract before, I didn’t have a company, I hadn’t thought of setting up a business, and I hadn’t thought of anything except the simple plan I had for working to provide for my family’s immediate needs!
As I pondered my decision, I realised that being ready is not always about having a solid plan or direction for moving forward. Instead, being ready is about being able to rationally weigh up new opportunities which are presented to us and being brave enough to accept them if we believe they will help create the future we want for ourselves.
I realized that this new opportunity would enable me to put in place everything that I valued in my working life: a good business model, strong financial management, leadership skills, valued employees and excellence in customer service.
How Do You Know You Are Ready?
If you are faced with an unexpected opportunity as I was, it can be helpful to write down a list of the pros and cons of taking the opportunity. While this is a simple method, creating a list of the potential advantages and disadvantages of a situation can help you make a clear-headed assessment of the likely outcomes, and whether or not they will lead to the results you desire.
To be ready when opportunity comes knocking, I suggest you do the following:
Practice discernment to know that the unexpected opportunity is right for you and that it is the right time.
When negotiating future circumstances, actively and confidently engage in discussion with the relevant parties without being afraid to ask for what you want.
The Importance of Knowing Yourself and Your Goals.
No matter what you are doing, no matter your circumstances, the unexpected can always happen.
Sometimes the right response to the unexpected is very straightforward, while other times it is muddled and unclear. Sometimes taking an unexpected opportunity may mean abandoning a well-thought-out plan, and at times it may mean walking away from something we have known for a lifetime and stepping into the unknown.
If there is one area you should be an expert on, it is yourself. Understanding your strengths, capabilities and limitations can help you determine how much of a challenge you are comfortable with accepting.
If I were to ask you to describe yourself in three words, what would you say?
In my case, I knew that if I committed myself to this decision I could create a business that I was proud to lead.
I encourage you to prioritise your own goals, and view opportunities through the lens of whether or not they will be able to give you self-satisfaction, a sense of purpose or accomplishment, and financial stability.
Are You Ready For YOUR Unexpected?
Allow me to leave you with these thoughts:
Know yourself, your strengths, your tenacity and your resilience. These will determine just how much of a challenge you are comfortable with
When your ‘unexpected’ happens, exercise discernment to determine the potential of the opportunity and that you are willing to take it up
When you accept your ‘unexpected’, don’t forego the most important negotiation of all: what will give you a sense of achievement and self-satisfaction.