Opportunity is closely tied to the three Reality Questions that both help and challenge people achieve their goals. The questions are: What do you want? What are you doing? What can you do?
The first question is about setting goals. The second question is about present and past efforts; and whether or not you have the ability to achieve the goal. The third question is about making plans to achieve the goal. You may have a goal, the ability and a plan but none of it works unless you have the opportunity to put the plan into action.
However, people who really want something will look for, and learn to recognise, opportunities in ordinary events and conversations, and tend to create opportunities, even if they don’t have the ability or a set plan. They look for ways to improve their skills and increase their knowledge so they can move a little closer to achieving their goal. They tend to talk to other people and openly reveal what they want to do because other people usually want to help if given the opportunity.
Sometimes the third question reveals a reluctance to look at what can be done today, or right this minute, to move closer to achieving the goal. If this reluctance continues, maybe it is a sign that there is a need to rethink the goal. Maybe the real goal is something associated with the original one and can be unearthed by asking another question, such as, ‘What was the benefit in gaining the first goal?’ The answer might set you on a completely different path and open up many opportunities.
A primary school kid I sometimes walked with on his way to school told me one day that he wanted to get sick. That was obviously a strange goal to have, so I asked him what he would gain from being sick. He said he wouldn’t have to go to school. I asked him what would be the benefit of not going to school. He said he would not be bullied if he didn’t go to school. The conversation was longer than that but his real goal was to be free from the bullying.
So, if you are procrastinating about what you think you want to achieve, maybe you need to adjust your goal so you will eagerly seek out opportunities to achieve it.
Bob Myers, author of Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.
The first question is about setting goals. The second question is about present and past efforts; and whether or not you have the ability to achieve the goal. The third question is about making plans to achieve the goal. You may have a goal, the ability and a plan but none of it works unless you have the opportunity to put the plan into action.
However, people who really want something will look for, and learn to recognise, opportunities in ordinary events and conversations, and tend to create opportunities, even if they don’t have the ability or a set plan. They look for ways to improve their skills and increase their knowledge so they can move a little closer to achieving their goal. They tend to talk to other people and openly reveal what they want to do because other people usually want to help if given the opportunity.
Sometimes the third question reveals a reluctance to look at what can be done today, or right this minute, to move closer to achieving the goal. If this reluctance continues, maybe it is a sign that there is a need to rethink the goal. Maybe the real goal is something associated with the original one and can be unearthed by asking another question, such as, ‘What was the benefit in gaining the first goal?’ The answer might set you on a completely different path and open up many opportunities.
A primary school kid I sometimes walked with on his way to school told me one day that he wanted to get sick. That was obviously a strange goal to have, so I asked him what he would gain from being sick. He said he wouldn’t have to go to school. I asked him what would be the benefit of not going to school. He said he would not be bullied if he didn’t go to school. The conversation was longer than that but his real goal was to be free from the bullying.
So, if you are procrastinating about what you think you want to achieve, maybe you need to adjust your goal so you will eagerly seek out opportunities to achieve it.
Bob Myers, author of Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.
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