Since second grade, little Skye dreamed of being a teacher. I ended up working in a very different field though. A while back, I had the opportunity to live my dream and interview for a teaching position in a small school, and it sounded like the coolest opportunity because I didn’t need a teaching degree. I thought to myself, “Should I take the opportunity? It’s something I’ve always thought I’d like to do!”
Spoiler alert, I didn’t take the opportunity for a few reasons, but the decision was really tricky because the opportunity was kind of just sprung on me and I didn’t intentionally seek it out.
I struggled to navigate the decision making because there were so many pros for staying where I was at, and pros for jumping on this new opportunity. I want to help you learn how to analyze situations before taking action so you can move forward with confidence and act on or pass up opportunities.
I’ll walk you through a few important questions to ask, and when to say yes or no.
Say goodbye to decision paralysis and make sense of opportunity excitement by analyzing your opportunity with the questions below.
Questions to Ask Before Taking an Opportunity
When you’re wondering, “should I take the opportunity?” the following questions will:
- Help you think carefully and thoughtfully
- Bring some clarity to your thoughts
- Make sense of opportunity excitement
- Remove decision paralysis
1. Is this opportunity something I actually want?
Sometimes, we get opportunity blindness and we think all opportunities are good ones. This isn’t always the case. Just because someone presents something new to you, doesn’t mean it’s a good time or a good fit for you. Just because it’s a chance for something new or different, doesn’t mean you have to jump on it.
An old friend of mine almost moved from one coast to the other for a chance to work for a big company, even though that’s not what he even wanted to do. Don’t get caught up in opportunity blindness and say yes to everything in front of you, especially if it doesn’t align with your interests or desires.
2. Does this opportunity bring me closer to my ideal life?
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to lose sight of where we really want to be. It’s easy to just go through the motions and get through the day, instead of intentionally building a life we love. When you’re faced with deciding to take an opportunity or not, ask yourself if taking it will bring you closer to your desired life. If not, or if it will cause undue pressure, stress, or tax your resources, consider waiting a while.
Picture the highest, best version of yourself. Does this opportunity help you become her?
| Related Reading: 34 Best Books on Finding Your Passion so You Can Live Out Your Purpose in Life
3. Do the pros outweigh the cons?
I’m a huge proponent of pro and con lists. It sounds cliche but make a list when you’re struggling with how to navigate an opportunity. A pros and cons list will truly bring clarity to your thoughts and give you a visual representation of the benefits and drawbacks of your decision.
4. How much do I already have on my plate? Is there room for this too?
The opportunity can be as big as a career change or as small as the chance to serve in the nursery at church or to take a weekend trip, but it’s wise to ensure you have the mental and physical capacity to take something else on. It’s so tempting to say yes to everything that comes our way, but your resources are limited, so only take on what you can graciously handle so nothing falls through the cracks and everything is done to the best of your ability.
When to Say Yes to an Opportunity
After you ask yourself the questions above, you should have a pretty good idea of how you’ll navigate your decision making, but if you’re still unsure, keep reading.
How does the opportunity make you feel? Does it excite you? Do you feel super hopeful and invigorated at the thought of taking it?
Being excited about it isn’t enough on it’s own (and it isn’t smart to say yes to something solely because it excites you), but after analyzing your thoughts using the questions above, being excited is a good indicator in addition.
When I had the chance to be a teacher, I was excited about it, but the idea of pursuing it didn’t leave me hopeful and invigorated. Should I take the opportunity? I had a hesitation that concerned me, so I dug a little deeper to discover what that hesitation was and it only brought me more clarity that this wasn’t the right time to pursue this.
When to Say No to an Opportunity
Again, start with the questions in the first section, but if you’re still stuck, think about your resources. Your resources are your time, energy, finances, focus, mental capacity, talents, etc.
It might be a good idea to wait on an opportunity if it taxes your personal resources too much. If an opportunity excites you but will take up more time than you have to give, or more money than you’re willing to spend, consider letting it pass by.
It could be wise to pass on an opportunity too if it overwhelms or stresses you out to an unhealthy extent. Sure, all new things can come with a small amount of healthy nerves, but an overwhelming amount of stress surrounding a new opportunity could be a key indicator to wait on it or pass it up.
I had the opportunity to be a partner in a business venture that meant a lot to me. It was truly a dream for me, and I really wrestled with whether or not I should become a partner, or take a smaller role.
In the end, it WAS something I wanted, DID bring me closer to my ideal life, had more pros than cons, and I HAD the room for it on my plate at the time, but I had a plan for my life set already that would soon soak up much of my personal resources- a plan that would take a chunk of my time and money hostage (grad school), so I had to make the very difficult decision to pass on the business partner role. Here I had to analyze the situation carefully and think through it thoughtfully enough to look a ways into the future.
Was it a hard decision? Yes!
And was it the right decision? Who knows! Because I still haven’t gone to grad school and it’s been a few years since I passed up this opportunity. But hey, plans change.
Reminder
The decisions you make when trying to answer the question, “Should I take the opportunity?” are valid. They may turn out later to be “right” or “wrong” but there’s no changing them. You did what you thought was best in the moment after careful consideration, and that is honorable. Don’t beat yourself up later for a missed opportunity or something that’s draining you that you said yes to. Honor yourself and your decisions. You’re doing the best you can!
Lean on Those You Trust
If you have someone in your life that you 1) trust and 2) know has your best interest in mind, ask their opinion about your potential opportunity.
If this person is genuine and honest and you know they truly want the best for you, you can take their input into account. Trusted words from a loved one may just help you feel a little more sure in your decision.
It’s so valuable to have the right people in your life!
Let’s Bring it Home
You can feel confident saying yes to an opportunity, big or small, if it:
- Is actually something you want
- Brings you closer to living a life you love
- Has more significant pros than cons
- Doesn’t add too much to your plate
- Excites you
You can feel confident passing up an opportunity if it:
- Isn’t something you ever wanted in the first place
- Brings you farther away from the life you’re trying to build
- Has more drawbacks than benefits
- Adds too much to your plate
- Taxes your resources
- Causes you unhealthy amounts of stress and overwhelm
Next time you find yourself asking the question, “Should I take the opportunity?” analyze the situation with the questions in this blog post so that you can confidently move forward knowing you’re doing what’s best for you.
Share this post with someone you know who has trouble saying no to things, or has an opportunity coming up! They’ll be so grateful you did.
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