A keen mind recognises opportunities early enough

We often fail to recognize opportunities. Indeed, even when we see an opportunity we often manage it poorly.

In the end, it does not give us the desired results.

Tragically, opportunities do not come by everyday. This is regardless that the focus is on business, or on any other workplace or on life generally.

Great opportunities are few and far between. When they finally arrive, they are likely to take the least expected character.

This makes them difficult to recognise. We may only recognise them when they have already passed us by.

Of course all of us have missed one opportunity or the other. However, a keen mind will help you to minimise missed chances.

It helps to be curious. This calls for deep insightful questions about the situations and environments that you find yourself in.

When you seek to know new things you are more likely to generate new ideas that will lead to hidden opportunities. Curiosity keeps your mind exercised and appropriately stretched.

Like a well-exercised muscle, your mind gets better and more effective when exercised this way.

THE BIG PICTURE

An exercised mind generates new ideas. It brings better insights and helps you to grab opportunities.

A generous mind set is likely to see new opportunities. Such a mind-set is willing to give opportunities to others.

It particularly recognises opportunities that may be more useful to others than to the person seeing them. When you approach life this way, you are likely to see opportunities for yourself, too.

The greatest problems we encounter will most likely bring with them our lifetime opportunities.

A difficult boss or a difficult business market may be what we need to open our eyes to that great opportunity and even personal potential.

It therefore pays to persevere. It is the persistence that will open up that opportunity.

Quitting closes the door.

A persistent mind-set hangs on long enough to see what lies at the end of the troubles. When you are hanging on to see what lies at the end, you must have a confident mind-set.

There is no time to waver. You must believe in yourself, knowing very well that if you are doubtful about yourself you should least expect anyone else to believe in you.

This can only happen if you agree to take full responsibility for your actions without any attempt to look for scapegoats.

You have agreed to explore the opportunities that come your way. Not everything will work as expected. Indeed things will sometimes go extremely wrong. Regardless, you must accept the responsibility.

There is always a light side to most circumstances. A mind-set that sees opportunities will appreciate the light side of things.

It may from time to time even tend towards the “playful” and will be willing to break a few rules.

New dimension

Sometimes things might not be as bad as they look. It might be when you are laughing at yourself that you see a whole new dimension of the circumstances.

A bit of fun in difficult circumstances may be the energy needed to move on.

Some of our worst moments might as well be our most hilarious ones in retrospect. That is why a mind-set with hindsight identifies opportunities faster because it is able to discern parallels between the present and the past.

It sees the similarity of current circumstances with previous circumstances and the likely outcomes of different courses of action.

You develop hindsight by taking time to reflect on the past and particularly on the worst circumstances.

Grateful spirit

Finally, is the role of a grateful spirit. Gratitude shines a light on opportunities.

When you are thankful for previous opportunities that have put you where you now are, you are more likely to see where else you should be.

But when you are grumpy, all opportunities that you should see will blurred by dumbness of your grumpiness.

Opportunities are managed by your mind-set and rarely by the many qualifications you may hold.