LIFE REFLECTIONS by Njeri Masimane WHEN PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY I never understood this concept about preparation and opportunity until last year when a friend of mine got an opportunity to sit at a restaurant table with great people in his field of work because he had something that they needed. He had been preparing for this opportunity even before it came along and when the opportunity came, he was ready and was the one calling the shots. We always sit around waiting for opportunities to come our way then do shoddy last minute preparations which might just get us lucky although this is often not the case. We all have dreams about our careers and employers. Right? My wildest dream would be to work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or anywhere on Wall Street. This would be ‘the life’ even if it meant a lot of sacrifices such as less time with friends and family. I don’t know about you but whatever dream you have, let the opportunity find you ready. If you start preparing now i.e. undertaking research on businesses that you are interested in, following up on their activities and decisions, understanding the world in which they operate, learning how they handle certain situations, finding out how their strategies have worked for them, all these should stand you in good stead and when opportunity knocks on your door; you will be ready. When looking for opportunities, apart from those which already exist, you can also find out if there is a gap in that line of business that you are interested in and work on filling it. Even if opportunity does not come your way on this occasion, the exposure you will have had, will give you an added advantage and enable you to do great things as you grow in your career. They say that life is what you make it. You cannot reap what you have not sown. You cannot wait for opportunities to come your way before you start preparing. Preparation should start now whether there is an opportunity or not. Prepare, bearing in mind that you will be steps ahead of everyone else eyeing that promotion or that job or that partnership. I do not mean to be so economical but I would rather buy an umbrella when the sun is shining because I know it will cost less than purchasing one, during the rainy season. Right? Putting this into context, I would say that being unprepared when an opportunity comes your way will most likely cost you more, than if you are prepared. With this in mind, I wish you all a wonderful Sunday as you prepare for the opportunities that will come your way in 2015! From Njeri Masimane
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 09:15:00 +0000
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