• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PlanningShop

Plan. Start. Grow.

  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
Seizing Opportunities
Winning success woman happy ecstatic celebrating being a winner

Seizing Opportunities

December 4, 2015 //  by Rhonda Abrams

Most small business owners want to grow their companies, but when it comes to taking action to succeed, many remind me of the man in this joke:

A huge flood threatened a town, forcing everyone to evacuate. Joe stays put, thinking, “I’m a devout man; God will save me.” The waters rise. Joe’s neighbor comes by, urging, “Joe, come with me; we’ve got to go.” Joe declines, “I’m a devout man; God will save me.”

The waters keep rising. Joe scrambles to his second floor. Out the window, a firefighter in a rowboat comes by: “Hurry, get in the boat or you’ll drown.” Joe again refuses, “I’m a devout man; God will save me.”

Finally, the flood waters are so high that Joe is forced up on his roof. A fire department helicopter comes by and throws down a rope. “It’s your last chance, climb up or you’ll drown,” the firefighter yells. “No, I’m a devout man; God will save me.”

Joe drowns.

He arrives in Heaven and challenges God, “I’m a devout man; why didn’t you save me?”

“What do you mean,” God replies, “I did everything I could. I sent a neighbor, a firefighter, and a helicopter.”

Many of us are like Joe – waiting for something to rescue us while we keep missing opportunities to help ourselves.

Whether in our business lives or personal lives, we hope for a lifeline, a “transforming event” to save us – a big new customer or rave reviews of our product, a great relationship or better family life – to just show up. Where, we wonder, is our Fairy Godmother?

Alas, life isn’t like that. While we sit there waiting for success to fall in our laps, real life keeps trudging along. Like Joe, if we want things to be different, we must learn to recognize opportunities and seize them; we have to do SOMETHING.

Of course, most entrepreneurs are used to taking action. But all too often – especially when we’re in trouble – we think the way to improve our situation is to work harder at what we’re already doing. We have low profit margins but think we need to sell more; we target the wrong customers but think we need to make more sales calls; we can’t manage our money but think we need more loans.

When you’re in a hole, the answer is not to start digging faster.

Let’s face it: if you want your business or your life to change, you have to do some things differently. Doing nothing isn’t the answer, but neither is doing more of the same. You have to be an active participant in your own transformation.

But where do we start? How do we learn to recognize – and then seize – opportunities when they come our way?

Here are six steps to help you recognize opportunities and seize success:

  1. Create a vision. Delineate what your idea of success would be. You can’t judge whether an opportunity is one to seize or let pass unless you have a context for understanding whether it fits into your goals.
  2. Plan. Next, develop a plan of how you can make your vision a reality. Developing a plan gives you a framework for decision making.
  3. Get out of your “comfort zone.” Sure you’re comfortable doing what you’re doing, but if it’s not bringing you the results you want, you’re going to have to change. Change is always uncomfortable.
  4. Choose. Moving forward means seizing some opportunities and allowing others to pass. Life will present you with many tempting prospects. You can’t act on every good idea. But you have to act on some. Choose.
  5. Move. Recognize that the “perfect” solution is never going to come along. Often we fail to act because we’re waiting for the perfect opportunity or the perfect timing. Life doesn’t offer perfection, it offers chances. Looking for perfection is a way of avoiding taking action.
  6. Commit. Get used to saying no. Get used to saying yes. But whatever you do, do it with commitment and conviction.

Like Joe, we have to learn how to recognize opportunities to survive and succeed and then grab on.


Copyright, Rhonda Abrams, 2015

This article originally ran in USA Today on December 4, 2015

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Category: Solution CenterTag: action, commitment, grow, opportunities, rhonda abrams, seize, small business, success, USA Today

Previous Post: «Thank Goodness for Smallbiz THANK GOODNESS! I Own a Small Business
Next Post: 8 Steps to Lower Taxes Before December 31 Lower Taxes»

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Rhonda's Blog via Email

Instagram @rhondaabrams

Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
“And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquot #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquotes
Here's to a great week, small business owners! . . Here's to a great week, small business owners!
.
.
#smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #mondaymotivation
My Tweets
  • Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
    What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
    National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
    #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
    “And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
    We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
    Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
  • Footer

    Our Products
    Instructor Central

    Privacy Policy
    Contact Us

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2023 PlanningShop · All Rights Reserved · Site design by paulinaart

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT