3 Ways to Plant Your Opportunities

“Sow the seeds today you want to harvest tomorrow.”

This is a saying I am very fond of and is the underlying current in every action I do, every step I take. This is a crucial lesson for everyone to embrace — forget the quick-fix one step process. Take the energy you would put into trying to believe that things like magic bullets exist, and rather, plow your fields. Network, read, learn. You are here today because of the things you did yesterday. Don’t wait for the right moment to show up — create the right moment instead.

Don’t see any doors of opportunities? Then build that door. There is no shame in not getting immediate wins, immediate gratification. There is no shame in having to wait and nurture something that may or may not prove fruitful. I have found 3 of the biggest ways I have planted my opportunities based on delayed gratification.

Delayed Gratification

The gratification of harvesting these later fruits are much more fulfilling than the short wins — hence “delayed” gratification. It is this mindset that allows successful people to thrive in the first place, it is their mindset of looking towards the longterm game plan and visualizing the steps they need to take now that allows them to increase their successes. They understand what seeds they must sow TODAY for their visualized gains of TOMORROW.

Here Are 3 Ways to Plant Your Opportunities

1. Explore

“Unlucky people are stuck in routines.” — Unknown

Just try something new, take small risks. This exponentially expands your horizon. I may have never known I was interested in entrepreneurship until I jumped into a small business competition. Being open to possibilities and exploring them is crucial to recognizing any doors of opportunities in the future. You’ll never know what you don’t know until you explore.

2. Network

“If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people.” — Chinese Proverb

Meet everyone and never discount anyone for who they are or what profession they have. Meet the people you run into at the most random places (i.e. airport lines, bathroom lines, coffee lines, just any line really), meet those who attend similar events as you, conferences, talks, meet those mentioned by the people you respect, meet the car driver, just meet people. Ask yourself this — What’s the worst that can happen? What’s the best that can happen? The worst tends to be a rejection towards you reaching out, but the best can be a road of possibilities (think butterfly effect — you can meet a business partner, employer, soulmate, or just friends through them — possibilities are endless).

3. Help Others

“Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves.” 
― Horace Mann

By helping others, you are planting so many seeds that could potentially be harvested later on. By lending yourself to help see someone else’s success, it can circle back to you in a several ways:

• Self empowerment of being able to help others
• Tapping into positive wavelengths
• They can return the helping hand at some later time

Of course these should not be the goal behind wanting to help others and we should help others for the sake of seeing others succeed, but it is proven to be connected to personal gain time and time again. Some of us attribute this to karma, and some see it as a natural progression in positive actions.

There is enough success to go around — make sure to help elevate others towards their own.

All in all, start sowing your seeds now — with a little patience, you will find yourself with a budding garden in no time.