Continuing from yesterday, here are ways to determine if an opportunity is really your chance for advancement.
Opportunity:
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines opportunity as a favorable juncture of circumstance or a good chance for advancement or progress. We are always looking for a good chance for advancement. Yet, that’s a gamble sometimes. How do we know when something is a good chance for advancement? The truth is we do not always know for sure. We need to make our best effort to choose wisely. Our time is precious and once spent we can never get it back.
How do we know it is an opportunity?
Pray about it. Pray for favor, opportunities and discernment in knowing where your time is best spent. Your time should reflect your love for the Lord and be a testimony for Him. Your time is best spent on projects, writing, guest blogging or the alike that would serve to advance you and not hinder you.
Fitting in with your vision and mission. Does this opportunity fit in with your goals as a writer, business owner, crafter, blogger, etc.? It may be flattering to be asked for expert advice, to guest blog, to host, or to be involved with projects. However, if you sell aprons it may not be a chance at progress for you to write an article on airplanes. You may gain a chance by writing on cooking if you can link back to your site on aprons. Cooks wear aprons and your article will reach those who are interested in cooking. Find your audience and stick to projects and opportunities that directly relate to them.
Your goals. Never leave your goals behind to take on an opportunity unless you feel called by the Lord to do so. Ask yourself when an opportunity comes along if it will help you achieve your goal. If not, toss it. If so, go for it.
Do not be swayed by money. On numerous occasions the chance to earn money by posting advertisements on my blog has come my way. I cringe as I turn down opportunities to make money because those opportunities are not in line with the theme of my blog. My readers do not come over to my homeschool blog to read about life insurance. I could potentially lose readers because they may feel I am writing content they care about or I am selling out my niche to the highest bidder. There is nothing wrong with making money off advertising or posts if you chose wisely and with integrity.
In the end you must remember the opportunity is not a chance to make money but a chance at advancement. The advancement will yield you steady long term profit. The family hardware store on the corner that has been in business for fifty years did not succeed by selling lipstick on aisle 3. Maintain your focus and your course. Even Amazon operated in the red for five years.