You’ve probably received this type of advice somewhere along your entrepreneurial journey: Stay focused, but keep an eye out for opportunities that will take you further, faster. But how do you decide what is an opportunity you should pursue and what is just a distraction that will pull you off course and slow you down?
Well, that is exactly what we are chatting about in this episode of the Goal Get It Podcast.
Show Links:
- Save 10+Hours A Month By Repurposing Content Masterclass
- Episode 001: Create a Custom Success Plan for You & Your Small Business
- Episode 063: How a Clear Aligned Vision Saves You Time
- DM me on Instagram
Show Takeaways:
- Listen in to hear the 3-part framework I’ve developed to help me decide if something is shiny object syndrome or an opportunity to jump on.
Rather scan before you listen? ⬇️
“Stay focused but keep an eye out for opportunities that will take you further faster.” You’ve probably received this type of advice somewhere along your entrepreneurial journey. I know I have. But how do you decide what is an opportunity you should pursue and what is just a distraction that will pull you off-course and slow you down? Well, in today’s episode that is exactly what we are chatting about.
Before I get into today’s episode I do want to tell you about an incredible new masterclass that I’m hosting on May 25th. It’s called Save 10+Hours A Month By Repurposing Content and I’m sharing the exact framework that I use to create content for so many platforms every single month without running out of ideas or burning myself out. If you wanna snag your free ticket, head on over to erinhaworth.com/masterclass.
I talk about all the time how we aren’t running a business in a vacuum, meaning there are always things changing and new information & opportunities being presented. And we want to make strategic decisions and make the most of the opportunities that are presented to us. But there is also value in staying the course and maintaining focus on one project or direction.
But how can you tell the difference between when you should stick with your original plan & when to shift & pivot to make room for a new opportunity?
Before I dive into the step-by-step aspect of this, I want to first say that there will be people telling you that you don’t even need to think about guest speaking until you’ve reached milestone X in your business or you can’t create a course until you’ve worked with so many clients 1:1 or that in order to write and publish a book, you need so many thousands of followers. But there is no one right way to do anything. So I want to encourage you that when you are in a situation where you are looking to make a decision on a new opportunity, that while you can as others for advice, that ultimately you make this decision for you. Because it is your business and your life. (if you want a little bit more on how to create a custom path for yourself to success, go all the way back to the beginning and check out episode 001 Create a Custom Success Plan for You & Your Small Business.)
Confident decision making is an essential skill as an entrepreneur and CEO. But it isn’t something you are just born with. You have to practice and exercise this muscle just like any other one. So, I want to share with you a framework, a “workout plan” if you will for making these types of decisions.
Here is a framework I’ve developed to help me decide if something is shiny object syndrome or an opportunity to jump on:
1. Alignment
Why am I considering this? What gap does it fill that I’m experiencing right now? Why is this appealing?
Be honest with yourself about why this thing is something you are even considering.
How does it fit in with my vision, my values, my strengths? (Episode 063 How a Clear Aligned Vision Saves You Time)
2. Best case/Worst case
What is the best possible outcome for this? What is the wort possible outcome from this?
I love to do this because most people I speak with get stuck in one or the other and are either blindly optimistic and that leads them to being disappointed when not everything is rainbows and butterflies OR devastatingly catastrophizing everything and that leads them to staying stuck.
By asking yourself both questions it allows you to remove the rose colored glassed or the shit-colored glasses to make an informed decision.
3. Sacrifice/Tradeoff
If you adding something in, something else has to give, that is just the truth of it. It might mean less time with your clients or your kids, or sleep, or time to yourself. The trade-off can come from anywhere, but one needs to be made. Understanding what the sacrifice or trade-off needs to be can let you make an informed decision about whether or not an opportunity is worth it or not.
Once you go through these 3 steps, you’ll have the information you need to make a decision for you. And the more you do this, the easier it will become. But also please know that you may still make a decision that you later second-guess or even regret. That is okay. It is all a learning experience and no one makes the “right” decision every single time. The best you can do is to use the information you have at any given time to make the best, most aligned decision for you.
Action Step:
I always like to end each episode with an action step that you can take right now to help you move forward and begin to implement immediately. Here is your action step for this episode: Consider an opportunity that has been presenting itself to you. Whether that is the pull to start a podcast of your own, or to get on Tiktok, or a speaking engagement, or a new partnership, or a completely new business model. Whatever it is. Go through the 3-step framework with that specific opportunity. The go on over to Instagram and DM me @ms.erin.haworth what you decided.
