If there is one lesson that keeps popping up for me it’s that I can’t take advantage of great opportunities as they come if I haven’t made the preparations to do so. Sometimes things line up from pure dumb luck, and it is so awesome when they do. If you’re like me, you can sometimes let those lucky breaks lull you into expecting them instead of preparing for future opportunities.
What kind of opportunities have I missed by not preparing? Events with last-minute openings, events outside my typical driving range (or comfort zone), getting great deals on displays or supplies, networking with other successful artists and artisan-scale/market-scale business owners, online sales, “viral” marketing of clever new designs, and so many others. I’m sure you probably have a list as well.
The point of my preparing isn’t to grab every single opportunity that comes along, but to know and trust in my preparations so that I’ll be able to take advantage of the ones I choose. I don’t have to be Grabby McGrabface and snatch at every one that comes my way, I think if I did that I’d be too worn out to enjoy any success, or too frustrated at a series of failures stemming from not being more selective in my choices of which opportunities to go for.
Can you think of one example where you missed an opportunity because you weren’t prepared for it, and one where you nailed it because you were? Comment and share!
