Delayed Opportunities

You hear people talk all the time about “missed opportunities”. This is usually followed by “shoulda, woulda, coulda”. I’ve said this myself. Now I find myself looking at a new opportunity that I should have pursued years ago, but I never saw it until recently. I must have been blind. It was that obvious! 

I’m going to chase it now. It is no longer missed. Only delayed. The one thing missed is the time that has transpired. I can’t recover those days and years. Nor can I turn back time and knock a few years off of my age. I’m 68 and should be well into retirement bliss. 

However, while I could retire, I have no intention of doing so until it isn’t fun anymore. It’s still fun. In retrospect, I think that it’s all a part of God’s plan for me. I had a life changing event in 2005 that took me in new directions, personally and professionally. While working full-time, I developed a side gig. In 2008 my side job became my new job. Little did I know that I was preparing for the recession.

In 2023 I will be leaving my current post (I agreed to sell the business 4 years ago) which will free me to focus all of my efforts on my new opportunity which I have been unknowingly preparing for during the past two years. Apparently, the big guy doesn’t want me to stop working. Mind you, I haven’t worked full-time since 2008. 

I only work when I want and with who I want. I’m fortunate to have this luxury. I made the decision in 2006 to pursue long-term semi retirement vs. busting my ass and fully retiring at any specific date. There were a number of reasons behind this decision and I can only state that I love it when a plan comes together.

How about you? Are there things that you wish that you had done earlier in your career? Today might be a good day to rectify that omission. You never missed that opportunity. You’re just getting around to it, albeit after a slight delay.

Craig M. Jamieson
Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!
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