The Learning Curve | Planting Seeds of Opportunity
When you work on something, it's more helpful to focus on the task instead of the outcome.
Of course, there are benefits to understanding how your actions affect the outcomes.
The point here is, in almost anything worth having, there exists a long gap between input and outcome.
"The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit." - Fabienne Fredrickson
We're going to dig into (pun intended) some ideas and systems that will allow you to plant your own seeds.
Ready? Let's go
At a glance:
Something to read: How to create your own opportunities at work.
Something to watch: Creating your own luck - an evidence-based guide.
Tools and systems to implement: Templates and tools to get your networking.
Something to read: How to create your own opportunities at work
Are you waiting for opportunities to fall into your lap? What if you could plant the seeds of opportunity yourself?
Ask yourself:
Do you know your strengths?
Can you choose projects strategically?
Are you communicating your goals?
Talk to your manager about your goals. It's fine to take action before asking for forgiveness. The same applies if you're a manager: Do you know your team's strengths? Do you let them have a say in which projects they work on? Do you know your team's goals?
Keep nurturing your existing responsibilities while you work.
Learn how to grow your career by creating opportunities. Read the full article for details. (6 min read)
Something to watch: Creating your own luck - An evidence-based guide
In this 12-minute video, Ali Abdaal speaks to Richard Wiseman, author of "The Luck Factor". The book covers the keys to planting your own seeds of opportunity.
Here are a few:
Open up to opportunities by trying new things first and assessing their value later.
Trust your intuition to know when to act and when to wait.
Cultivate optimism and belief in your capabilities to create fertile ground for opportunity.
Develop resilience to bounce back from setbacks.
Keep a diary to appreciate your journey.
Build a network of connections to expand your field of opportunity.
Short on time? Here's a YouTube short from Ali Abdaal about the power of cold emails. Link
Tools and systems to implement: Templates and tools to get you networking
A few of my favorite simple actions to plant your seeds:
Send one cold email or DM per day/week. Whatever you can manage. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Spend more time around optimists. Pessimists sound smart, optimists tend to get lucky.
Share your thoughts publicly. Write, build, and share.
Build free time and boredom into your schedule. Free time is where your thoughts and ideas mingle. When you're not busy, you have the mental capacity to explore new and different things.
Use these email templates to make new connections with less unease and discomfort. Customise the templates with some personal details. Use them to your advantage and expand your important network.
4 email templates to make networking way less awkward.
To make the most of your efforts, it's important to have the right tools. These tools will help you streamline the process and keep track of your progress. These are popular tools that will make your cold emailing easier to do.:
Grammarly: Nothing can derail a cold email faster than typos and grammatical errors. Grammarly is a tool that assists with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and tone in writing. Like you, it ensures that your emails are polished and professional.
Calendly: Scheduling meetings can be a hassle. Calendly simplifies the process by letting recipients book directly from your calendar. Imagine having a personal assistant who effortlessly syncs everyone's schedules for you.
Personal CRM: I touched on this in the last issue. Keep track of all the people you meet, what you know about them and when to reach out and say hello.
With these helpful tools, you'll be ready and skilled to confidently send cold emails.
Embrace the challenge of cold emailing as a valuable tool for you. Remember that every connection made is like finding a hidden treasure. It's a surprise that can lead to great opportunities.
Conclusion:
If you got this far, thank you.
Today, we covered the concept of planting seeds of opportunity. We covered some questions for self-assessment, regardless of your position. We discovered an evidence-based guide for creating your own luck. We have some email drafts and tools to start planting seeds of opportunities.
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See you in two weeks.
Peace,
Has
