How to Look for Opportunity in the New Year
Opportunity is everywhere; you just have to look for it. At this time of year – at the beginning of a whole new year – you may be eagerly looking for new opportunities. Opportunities to learn; to grow your business; to connect more with those around you, including friends, loved ones, and those in your database. There are tons of opportunities all around you – you just have to notice them.
What opportunity awaits you?
Are you a natural optimist? Someone who automatically sees the spark of new opportunities and automatically embraces them? If you are, spotting new opportunities is like second nature to you and your whole year will seem full of blessings.
But, what if you’re not naturally optimistic? Although you wouldn’t call yourself a pessimist, you may not naturally notice the opportunities that are before you. Perhaps you’re too busy focusing on what’s in front of you to see what lies behind it. Or perhaps the challenges and fires that pop up in your life steal all of your attention so you’re unable to pay attention to anything else.
Whatever your point of view, there are new opportunities that await you. Here’s how to see them…
Open your mind
Although it’s important to know what you want – how else are you supposed to set goals and try to attain them – it’s also important to keep an open mind. Life is funny – sometimes something comes up that you never would’ve considered otherwise and, in the end, you find that it ends up being far more perfect than your original plan. Take network marketing, for example. A decade ago, you may not have ever even imagined you’d be running a successful business as a network marketer, but here you are. As you learn and grow through life, your priorities may change and shift. Remain focus on your ultimate goal, but keep your knees bent and ready to spring on new opportunities you may not have considered before that help you reach your goal.
See opportunity in your challenges
It’s often difficult at the time to see anything but the negativity of the challenging circumstances you find yourself in. Often, when challenges arise you may fall into the negativity trap of “Why is this happening to me?” or “When wit this awful situation be over?” or “How am I going to get through this?” One very important question to ask instead is “What is this challenge going to teach me?”
When you change your perspective on your challenges and instead see them as opportunities to learn, you’re no longer the victim of your circumstances. Sure, you may not have expected the challenge; however, you can take charge of it and take an active role in turning things around. In addition to the satisfaction of being the boss of your own life, you’ll also learn amazing things in the process that can help you if the situation arises again… or avoid it altogether.
Find an opportunity to serve
Isn’t that why you do what you do and why you got into network marketing in the first place – so you can have new ways to serve those you know and love and appreciate? Serving from the heart is at the heart of your business. It’s why people buy from you and join your team – they know you have their best interests at heart.
It’s through those best interests that you can find new opportunities to serve. This is the perfect time of year to connect and reconnect with the folks in your network. Connect with your best people to show them how much you appreciate them and remind them that you’re there to serve. If your company has new products that you know they’ll love, let them know. Schedule time to chat with them and fill them in on all the new products. If they’ve had a challenging year or even a less than stellar week, find a way to make their days, whether it’s a quick message to say hello and wish them well or a hand-written note to let them know how much you care. These are great and important ways to improve your relationship with them.
For new people to your network, find ways to connect with them and get to know them better. After all, that’s the only way you’ll learn more about what they like, what they struggle with, what their biggest challenges are, and what they want out of life. This will help you pinpoint how you can serve them, whether it’s to recommend a product or to connect them with a person who can help them.
Seek out opportunities to grow and learn
Grow your mind and you’ll grow your business. Look for opportunities to learn more about your business and your industry. Take training courses geared toward network marketers as well as small businesses. Even consider taking a training you’ve already taken again – you may get something entirely new a second or third time around. After all, you’re in a much different place than you were in the first time you took the course. For example, if you took Elite Business Bootcamp last year, consider taking it again this year. During this 12-week course, you’ll connect with a whole new group of motivated network marketers and be able to focus on the concepts and action steps you need to lead a thriving business.
Also, consider seeking out a coach and mentor. A coach can give you impartial advice and perspective you need when you need it the most. A mentor can share his or her experience in network marketing and/or business and offer support to help you face and overcome your challenges. They can also help you avoid the challenges they’ve faced or approach them in the way they wish they had. All of this leads to an opportunity to grow your self and your business this year and beyond.
Opportunity is rooted in habit
Although it may sound contrary, opportunity is rooted in habit – the habits you’ve developed that help you succeed. Yes, this means your daily Power Hour! Connecting with your customers, prospects, and distributors is a habit you practice daily, or at least you should for best results. Once you get in the habit of connecting with them, it feels unnatural to not connect with them each and every day.
Luckily, Teamzy makes the process so much easier! Instead of struggling to figure out who to contact each day, Teamzy does the heavy lifting for you and gives you the names of the people to reach out to. It’s up to you to make it happen and then record your progress.
Although it seems tough to get in the habit of doing your necessary activities, over time it gets easier. You’ll be thankful later for all the work you’re putting in now. In fact, I don’t think anyone has ever said, “You know, I really wish I hadn’t worked so hard to build the habits of success.”
What about the days when you’re just not feeling motivated?
“Wanting to do something is so much more liberating than having to do something.” -John O’Leary
The best motivation to work is the desire to serve. Don’t think of connecting to your clients as any old job that has to be done; think of it as an opportunity to make someone’s day a bit better than it was before they heard from you. Isn’t that so much better than feeling obligated to do your Power Hour? It’s not an obligation or just a job; it’s an extension of your purpose in life. Your Power Hour is the opportunity to live your Why. It’s an opportunity to enhance your business and live the life you want.
The time to start is now
Whether you naturally look for new opportunities or that’s a sill you’ve yet to develop, the time to begin is now. You can begin looking for opportunities in every day right at this moment. It’s a matter of training your mind to see the opportunities around you. Look for the opportunities and you’ll enjoy a lasting, successful business.
