Windows Of Opportunity

Maximising success is understanding windows of opportunity.

Some windows are short, some are longer.

When a window is extremely short, a matter of minutes, it is sometimes called a 'lucky break' or it is the moment when someone is 'discovered'.

On the other hand, capitalising on a longer window of opportunity may involve tapping into the zeitgeist (the mood of the moment), or trends, or 'culture'.

Put simply, a window of opportunity is a time in which circumstances create a small opening towards the desired pathway, and they represent a little grace, a little bit of an advantage for one to create something, which if we are lucky, can last past that particular moment.

These moments are called windows of opportunity, rather than doors of opportunity, I imagine, because we need to do a little more work than just walk through - with windows of opportunity, sometimes, we need to hustle a bit, and jam ourselves through, like a little thief, and this may involve some discomfort or effort.

We don't open these windows ourselves. They open and close by themselves. The only thing we can do is to attune ourselves to know when they are open (or about to open), and when they are getting ready to close.

You can see windows of opportunity, in a collective sense, when every designer, without speaking, comes up with something similar, or there is a type of business that everyone wants to do at a certain time, or when there is a certain type of music or television series everyone is loving, and these things seem to have come about from the same cosmic ooze, in parallel, without any obvious copying.

If you understand things like energy and zeitgeist, and you are empathic enough to sense collective consciousness, you can sometimes feel into this cosmic ooze, which determines when a window is about to open. And if you can get into that ooze before the window opens for everyone else, that's even better.

Some of these windows of opportunity are long. Some last decades. This is quite a rare thing. Usually from my experience, a window of opportunity is much shorter and requires action to make sure you capitalise on it.

To have a window that lasts ten years is grace. It is favour. It is God, or the higher power, not just giving you a helping hand or a little access, but literally stopping time (because, usually, time stops for no man), so that you can take your place and grab something that this higher power has meant for you.

When you are granted a longer-than-average window, you are being granted favour, and if you wasted this favour, it may have been because you thought your window would last forever. It never does. And to think that would be the case, for you specifically, because you are special, represents either the height of arrogance ... or ignorance.

Be in no doubt that the opportunity this window represents, whether it's the opportunity of a soulmate love, or making something out of a piece of inspiration and bringing it forth in the world, will happen, if it's meant to, whether it's through you, or not.

So if you sleep on it, it will be given to someone else. You are merely a vehicle.

This in itself is a big motivator. After all, many people don't mind losing opportunities, but they sure as hell don't want that thing they lost to be found, polished up and to benefit someone else.

This concept of windows and vehicles was well illustrated by Michael Jackson in an anecdote I heard. He apparently got a piece of music in his sleep and he had to wake up and go to the studio immediately to record it. When asked why he couldn't wait till morning he said, if I don't do it now, then Prince will get it! (The two men shared a famous rivalry in the '80s)

By accounts of this story, this was a man that seemed to understand he was a vehicle and he had a limited window to act on the inspiration he received. And he showed humility in knowing that, even though he was supremely talented, these windows wait for no one - that where there is a Michael, there is always a Prince.

Although, I have seen examples of long windows, most of the time we don't have ten years to get ourselves together and grab an opportunity, to step up to the plate or to grow into who we need to be to take advantage of something that is being offered to us.

We need to be humble enough, and in service enough, to know we are vehicles and we need to act when we are called to act. And we also need the confidence to know we can act even when we don't feel it's the best time for us, or we are not as prepared as we would like to be.

People who don't understand, or are unable to recognise, when windows open, and that they can also shut, are those that don't make moves when they should. They either try and ram open a window that's shut already, or they start making some initial moves when it's already far too late.

We can do things outside of our window, but we may never get the same ease, flow or conditions as we did then, when the window of opportunity existed for us.

Sure, we may meet someone else as great (but not this person, never this person again) or we may get a new opportunity for a business (but not the one we didn't capitalise on then, because someone else did), or we may have another opportunity to travel or bungee jump (but it doesn't feel the same as when we had no dependents or fears).

We need to be able to recognise these windows as gifts, and take advantage of the times when that window opens towards us and says, Ok, it's time, let's do this.

When you live enough life, you realise you can always create opportunities if you have the will, but rarely the same opportunity twice, because the sands are always shifting, and the past doesn't exist in a way we can resuscitate it and expect the same results. You can't really go back and do a re-do, even when you are doing a re-do!

Understanding timing is vital. But apart from the right time, the other variable for success is the right mindset. And what is sad is that we often have a window of opportunity but we cannot capitalise on it because our mindset is wrong. If we always had the right mindset at the right time, we would all have many more successes.

So how do we make more of these windows?

The key is to recognise them and then act on them. Which, like most important things, is simple, not easy.

An open window can be recognised first by a subtle breeze. Little things emerge that point us in a certain direction, there is a feeling, an energy shift, signs and synchronicities that point the way, and, most often, a desire to do something, an urge or a whisper that speaks to us.

Another way to recognise a window of opportunity is knowing that, when they appear, they often come with tests, and they don't care about your readiness, they just are, and it's for you to do with them what you will.

If you get invited out by someone only in town for a night, and you sense a spark, go! - the 'test' will likely manifest in the accompanying thoughts, which say: I am not ready, I need more time, I haven't prepared, I need to play hard to get... and so on and on.

Sure, it may not be optimal for you personally, right now, but, universally, this may be the very best time, the most optimal time, for you to do this thing.

The tests seem to occur when the window occurs, with one pushing up against the other. Don't fall for it! Don't let the window close on you when all you actually need to do is recognise it and say Yes ... because, one thing is for certain, there is nothing worse than regretting the things you could have done, should have done, might have done, but didn't do.