Some Opportunities Come Along Only Once
Don't be the bonehead that passed on the amazing opportunity!
Almost everyone over the age of 40 can tell you about some great opportunity they had when they were younger that they passed up because they thought there would be plenty more just like it. These missed opportunities, the ones that can potentially change a person’s life, are the ones that older folks regret most.
Every story is different. Some people will tell you about living in a town like New York or Los Angeles during a time when a lot of great things were happening and there were a lot of opportunities either creatively or in the business world. They will tell you about this amazing opportunity they passed on for a really stupid reason, but also because they thought other similar opportunities would follow. Then one day they wake up, they are 40 years old and don’t live in New York anymore. Looking back, they realize that it was a unique moment in time.
One example that sticks out in my mine is how my little brother turned down an opportunity to be in a rock band with a couple of guys (his former bandmates from Portland) who were moving to Los Angeles. My brother didn’t want to move to Los Angeles, and also there had been a lot of drama when they were all living in Portland and the band they were in broke up. Well, two of the guys did move to L.A. and the band they ended up forming was Train. My brother, who decided not to move to L.A., wound up with a completely different life, based on turning down one opportunity.
In many ways it all worked out for the best, but I’m sure he wonders what might have been, had he moved to Los Angeles with his bandmates and ended up being the drummer for Train. Who knows how it all really went down, or if he would have even ended up in the band. And how could he have known they would make it big? But when he tells the story, it’s clear that he views it as an amazing opportunity that he passed on (not that he realized it at the time though).
Try to recognize your “unique moment in time” when it comes along. Maybe you live in a town where some very interesting things are happening, either in art or music, or in the high tech startup world, or real estate, or some other area you find exciting. Maybe you have the opportunity to travel or make a big move. Maybe you have the opportunity to live in London for a year or study in Paris, or just take a trip somewhere you really want to go. Maybe a friend wants you to help start an online business. Maybe you have the chance to study with someone who is famous in their field or attend a prestigious academy, workshop or training program.
Sometimes the great opportunity is simply a person you know that is well connected who can help you achieve some goal. Maybe you have the chance to go back to school or get a masters degree or do a valuable internship. Maybe the fact that you are living rent free, with a boyfriend, your spouse, or your parents, allows you to pursue a dream — something you couldn’t do if you had to work full time just to pay rent.
Maybe you just heard about an amazing dance teacher, or class being taught being taught by a master musician. Maybe one of your friends is producing a low-budget film and wants you to be involved. Maybe the opportunity is financial and you have the chance to get funding for a project or business. There are all kinds if interesting opportunities that come along in your 20s that are more of a possibility because you’re young, unencumbered, or free to pick up and move to a different town because you don’t yet have other responsibilities, like a mortgage or a family.
If you are lucky enough to live in a town where amazing things are happening all around you, then go jump in and make something happen — take advantage of it. It won’t always be like this. Sometimes you have the opportunity to be part of something really cool when you’re young but you talk yourself out of it for some silly reason (usually fear).
Trust your gut. If some unique and special opportunity arises that seems like something you should really get involved in, please don’t talk yourself out of it by thinking that you’ll have plenty of other opportunities to do the same thing later on. Ask yourself, “10 years from now, what are the chances that I will look back and regret not doing this?”
#success #opportunity #advice #career #business #startups #opportunities #networking #wisdom
The above post is an excerpt from Rebecca Pavlik’s new book Time to Break Some Rules, Sweetie! a humorous advice book for young women based on her time in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. For more details and to view on Amazon click here.