A Window Of Opportunity

I’ve always liked the expression ‘there’s a window of opportunity’. Sometimes it can feel like we’re pushing really hard against a rock-solid wall that won’t budge. No matter what we do, or how hard we try, we don’t make any progress. 

But when the moment comes where something moves, and you punch through in the smallest of ways and see the light on the other side, it inspires you to keep going. A window of opportunity is a visual reminder that there’s a reason to be hopeful, that there’s a reason to keep pushing, and that your efforts aren’t being wasted.

To be fair... The opening you create could be really small, and it could be closing really soon. That’s why when you see your window of opportunity, you need to take full advantage of it. And here’s how:

First, you need to act fast. The second the window opens, it starts to close. The opportunity gets less and less fresh the longer you wait. So put together your next steps as quickly as possible. Now don’t completely cut corners, but done is better than perfect. Capitalizing on the enriched environment of a fresh opportunity is just as important as putting your best foot forward. 

The mistake people make is - since they’ve been trying for so long to create an opportunity, they want their next step to be perfect. They’ve only got one shot. But that keeps them hesitating and delaying taking action, which really hurts their chances.

That’s why it’s important to be ready. Be proactive about putting thought into how things would work, or what you’d need to have prepared when the opportunity presents itself. There’s a quote that goes “You don’t need to get ready if you stay ready.” It’s that level of preparedness that will help you to take fast, high-quality action when the window opens up. 

And second, think bigger. When you deliver quickly on something that is high quality and way more than what was expected, it makes an impression. Don’t just send a follow up email - make a custom demo. Work fast to overdeliver because it sets the pace for what comes next. 

Here’s my experience with this last week. Over the course of the last 11 months I’ve been working on creating a collaboration with Jesse Itzler. I’ve attended his events, offered insights, even ran a marathon with a custom flag that had his life mantras on it. The wall wouldn’t budge. No window.

Then after another one-off email, I got a response saying he’s interested to hear more about what I have in mind. I don’t need to build the case, do research, or figure out the best way to present this opportunity. I’ve been ready for this for 11 months. So I turned around a highly-thoughtful follow up video that outlines how everything would work, fully-customized, and sent it over within 24 hours.

That’s how you seize your window of opportunity. The work doesn’t start when the window opens. It starts now as you prepare for the small chance that you get an opportunity. It can come at any time, and you need to make sure you’re ready for it.