10 TIPS FOR ATTRACTING OPPORTUNITY TODAY… AND BEYOND

Successful women all over the world believe in making opportunity happen. Whether it’s the urban business magnate, the ambitious executive or the rural trader, these women have all learned the power of proactivity. If attracting opportunity is something that appeals to you, Oma Edoja guides you through with these 10 tips:

1. Know who you are, Be who you are: What is most important to you in life, work and business – honesty, family, independence, freedom, wealth, influence, contribution? Decide on your 10 most important values that guide your decisions and define who you are. Next, prune these down to five, and lastly, choose your top three values. If you allow these three values to guide your decisions in the next 12 months, for example,  you are more likely to be happy with the results you achieve. Honouring your values is called being authentic. It is being yourself and not someone else. This means that you attract the opportunities that are right for you, which you are equipped to follow. In turn, this will bring the kind of success that will satisfy you. Different strokes for different folks. Being authentic can help you recognise your winning strokes.
2. Create a vision: Helen Keller once said: “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision.” The difference between pathetic and proactive is having a vision, a mental picture of how and where you want to be. To create your vision make a list of all the areas of your life, work or business that you would like to focus on. This could include health, finances, family, relationships, spiritual, charity, work, marriage, or whatever is important to you. With your list of priority areas, you have narrowed your focus. Sharp focus is another characteristic of the successful woman. Decide what you would like to achieve in each of these areas. State your intentions positively (saying what you want, not what you do not) and state them as though they are already ready true. Eg, I weigh ‘X’ kg, or I earn ‘X’ dollars per annum,  not, I want to weigh/earn ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’. These positive outcomes are your destination. This is where you are headed, and where you will arrive, if you do not give up. Feeling motivated already? Good! Next, we need a plan.
3. Plan in advance: Always work to a plan, made in advance and written down.  will save you time, maintain focus and help check distraction. With a plan it is easier to beat procrastination – simply jump in at step one and keep going! A plan allows you to fine-tune your strategy on paper, before any costly mistakes are made. Now is the time to write that business plan, marketing plan, weekly menu, shopping list, editorial calendar, speaking itinerary or whatever it is you are thinking of succeeding. Do it now, and get as much as possible sorted in advance. Increase your chances of success by preparing with a written plan.How to write your plan? Determine what actions you need to take in order to reach your positive outcomes. Write these out, with dates for their accomplishment. The dates give you a timeframe and anchor your commitment. Without complete-by dates, you only have a wish list. Successful people don’t wish. They take action. Planned action!
4. Get support: One way that we sabotage our own efforts is in operating as a one-woman band. It’s been said that you can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it. No wonder we face early burn-out. I encourage people to set goals and dream dreams that are bigger than anything they have ever done before. Success is about stretching and growing. Chances are that we do not know how to get where we have never been before. We may seek bigger profits, promotion, better relationships, weight-loss, more quality family time or to minimise stress levels. Whatever it is, if we aren’t “there” yet it is most likely that our current strategy isn’t working. We need a new strategy, new direction. New is the keyword. Do something new and get support. Hire an assistant, a confidence coach, a marketing consultant, a personal trainer, domestic help, whatever you need. Breathe some new life into your situation. Get more hands on deck. The synergy could catapult you further than if you struggled along on your own. Now, make a list of all the areas of your plan where you could do with some help – people, books, research, a course etc. All successful people have a support team. From entertainers, to business people, to politicians, to successful parents, anyone with an eye on success needs back-up. Plan yours now.
5. Build or nourish your networks: Who do you know? And who do they know? Seek to add value to as many people as possible. Be a giver, add value. When you give out, it comes back. Don’t attend networking events or meet up online for the sole purpose of recruiting a client. People can spot your desperation a mile away and are most likely to run for it whenever you show up! Network differently. Set an intention to add value to a determined number of people each month, without expectation of reward. As you do this, your positive energy makes you attractive to people and opportunity. And energy is never lost, only converted. So, your good deeds will keep on coming back to you, in different shapes and forms.
6. De-clutter: Make room for the new by getting rid of whatever old no longer serves you. Throw it out or give it out. Cut back on TV viewing and make room for eveningreading or even study. Learn new skills and open new doors. Is that toxic relationship really worth your while or is it simply a drain on your energy? Could you gopaperless and free up office space? Even clearing up your computer desktop and hard drive could make room for new information. So take a look at your life and work, and think: What would I like to make room for? What could I get rid of, to receive it?
7. Believe and expect: If you do not believe that opportunity exists for you, it will not. For instance, if you believe there is a cost of living crisis, and so no one is buying or hiring, you will find it hard to make a sale or get hired. Your thoughts and beliefs pre-program you to achieve what you think and believe. Some experts believe hard times are the best time to start a business, so becareful whom you listen to! It’s a matter of choosing and creating your reality, with your mind and your mouth, your thoughts and your words. These influence your actions, your habits and your results. So, free your mind. Believe in, and expect opportunity!
8. Take action: Once you have your values, vision and plan worked out, get started. If you make mistakes and learn from them, you are still advancing. A mother once said to her child, “Even if you fell flat on your face you would have moved five feet and eight inches forward!” Keep procrastination at bay by remaining in “take-action mode”. And remember to seek support.
9. Be flexible: Be ready to try new strategies. If one path doesn’t work, be open to others. You may need to modify your goals or re-evaluate your values. As long as you remain authentic, true to whom you really are, your flexibility will take you where you want to go.
10. Do it again: Once you find out what works for you, repeat the process in other areas of your life and work. This will reinforce your learning and bring more success. And we all know how attractive success can be. It opens up the door for even more to come in.I hope these tips will get you thinking, planning and taking action. With planned, focused and committed action you cause doors to open, creating your opportunity. Don’t be a skeptic. Take two or three of these tips and run with them. Then come back for more! Keep a journal for your future reflection. Make notes of what works for you and what doesn’t.