Opportunity Does Not Mean Obligation

If you are a hyper-driven achiever, you’ll always chase opportunity. You will always want to be, do, and have more. This is a great thing, but if not checked, can lead to burnout.

Opportunity does not mean obligation. Just because you have an opportunity does not mean you have to take it…or even should take it. Remember this powerful truth: Just because something could be done doesn’t mean it should be done. Drop the mic…did you get that? No…really…did you get that? Just because something could be done doesn’t mean it should be done!

You can easily run yourself into the ground because you jump at every opportunity. This is especially true for young leaders who want to prove themselves. They feel they need to accept and execute on every opportunity that comes their way. But in doing so, they spread themselves too thin causing chaos in their productivity. The word NO becomes an unacceptable word in their pursuit of success. But in the long run, this unacceptable word limits their ability to move forward.

Sure, we should be ambitious and agile, but we have to be careful of becoming too mindless. Disaster occurs when your mouth commits to something your brain is not in. You can’t say YES to every opportunity that comes your way. You have to filter opportunity through three questions:

1) Am I Passionate About This?

The first question to ask when an opportunity comes your way is “Am I passionate about this?” If you aren’t passionate about it, chances are you won’t give your best anyway. We succeed when our passion is aligned with what we actually do. Don’t commit to every opportunity if you can’t truly get behind it. Find what energizes you, what excites you, what engulf’s you. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.” If everything you do drains your energy, you may need to rethink what you do. When you are operating in your sweet spot, it will energize you (that doesn’t mean you won’t get tired here and there, but overall you love what you do, and it drives you).

2) Does This Align With My Purpose?

Don’t get involved in things that aren’t what you are purposed to do. Purpose is an excellent filter for determining whether or not you are spending your time the right way. It is an internal compass helping us navigate our agendas. Don’t go by a clock to determine your productivity, go by your purpose-driven compass. If how you are spending your time does not align with your purpose, you will need to abandon that pursuit. This is why having a clear vision and purpose statement keeps you focused on what really matters–organizationally and individually.

2) Do I Have The Skills To Do This?

If you commit to something you’re not skilled at it will backfire. Saying YES to opportunity without the appropriate skills to make the opportunity successful, leads to frustration. The right person with the right skills should be the ones saying YES to the opportunity. There is nothing worse than trying to do something you are clearly not good at. Know your strengths and the unique value that you bring to the table. Make sure that you are operating in your wheelhouse, not the outhouse. Don’t try to do things you apparently are not good at; you’re not fooling anyone.

Remember: Opportunity doesn’t mean obligation. Always push for these three questions to be in alignment, so you operate in your sweet spot of success.