6 Ways to Create Your Own Opportunity

There are people in this life who always seem to be in the right place at the right time.

They’re the ones who appear to always land the dream job and live the dream life, fulfilling their dharma, or their life’s purpose, in ways you can only imagine. Their life seems to be marked by a profound sense of groundedness, self-realization, and joy.

Fortunately, those people aren’t just subject to luck and chance. Opportunities are present all around you as well; you just need to learn how to identify and step into them. There is nothing in the Universe that says you can’t fulfill your own dreams and create a life you want to live. On the contrary, the Universe actually invites you to step into who you were created to be, offering your unique skills to others in ways only you can.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur embarking on your next business idea or a visionary simply wanting to start a new quest in your personal life, you don’t need to wait around for an opportunity to present itself. By knowing yourself and making a conscious effort to push forward, you can create your own opportunities or find ones that fit what you’re looking for.

Here are six ways to navigate the process and step into your success:

1. Understand Who You Are

Before you start the journey of finding or creating an opportunity, you first need to know yourself on a deep level. Anything you do should come out of a sense of who you are, so that your unique skillset can be used to the fullest extent possible. By identifying what you can offer that is also in line with your personal values, you can begin to hone what is or isn’t an opportunity for you. For example, if you are highly skilled in biology and value helping others, then a great opportunity would be to look into medical or nursing school (as opposed to becoming a graphic designer.)

To get a better sense of your unique offering, take a half-day retreat to reflect on what makes you special, what you value, and what skills you’d like to offer others. Beforehand, ask those closest to you to answer the following questions (and answer them yourself) to use for your reflection:

• What do you admire most about me?
• If you could describe me in one word, what would it be?
• What unique qualities do I possess?
• What do I offer others?
• What am I naturally good at?

2. Believe in What You Offer

Once you have a strong understanding of who you are and what you want to offer, believe in your power to offer those skills. Developing self-confidence can open up doors that you may not have knocked on before. By projecting this type of confidence, you encourage others to view you as an expert in your skills. If you believe in yourself, others will too.

3. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Opportunities rarely happen in your comfort zone. If an opportunity were prone to present itself where you are, then you’d already have one. Use your confidence to step outside your comfort zone and engage people and situations that will help get you to where you want to be.

If you want to develop an app, join a networking event in your area that focuses on the tech industry. If you want to start a travel blog, go somewhere you’ve never been and interview locals to get an insider’s look into the area. If you’re looking for a business partner, join local entrepreneurial meetups and networking events. By putting yourself out there and meeting people who will support your dream, you’re more likely to create opportunities for yourself.

4. Remain Open

You might set out with a goal in mind of exactly what you want to do and how you want to do it, but rarely will life work out exactly how you think it will. By not holding anything too tightly, you open yourself up to opportunities that may not have even been on your radar before.

For instance, if you’re a storyteller at heart and have a passion for giving other people a voice, you might be able to use those skills in a corporate communications or marketing job that develops testimonials. You get to know people and their story while also meeting a business need. Be flexible as you take action. Sometimes opportunities that use your skills are different than what you expect.

5. Create Good Karma

As much as creating opportunities is based on doing, it’s also about how you do it. Being a good person and putting positivity into the Universe invites good things to happen in return. Take time to genuinely connect with others, instead of having a one-track mind for building an opportunity for yourself. By creating lasting, solid relationships, people will remember you when an opportunity arises that requires your expertise.

And when and where you can, volunteer your time and talent! Offer guidance and counsel based on your skills, establishing credibility and laying the foundation for when a full-blown opportunity presents itself. If you have a listening ear and want to become a counselor, volunteer your services at a local community center or offer your time pro bono at a counseling firm. Even if an opportunity doesn’t manifest immediately, have faith that something is on the horizon.   

6. Be Decisive

When opportunities arise, take advantage of them with confidence. You haven’t planned, primed, and nurtured a pipeline of opportunities to let them go to waste. The amount of preparation you’ve done will equip you to know whether or not an opportunity is right for you. You’re able to make an informed decision based on your confidence, skills, and knowledge of self. Step into your power and feel assured that you cannot make a wrong decision. If you step into an opportunity that eventually turns out to be less-than-perfect, you’ll know that it served its purpose of leading you to the next one. Every step in your journey happens for a reason.

Use these tips to create opportunities that align with who you are and what you were meant to do. Remember to enjoy the process, be patient, and maintain a positive outlook. This world needs what you have to give.

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