As I watched the Boston Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 2008 NBA Championship, it is quite noticeable that Boston has four legitimate offensive weapons while the Lakers had only Kobe Bryant and Pao Gasol. The Celtics won the series because they had more options than the Lakers.
I am constantly talking to young and emerging leaders about the need to have options in their life. Three benefits of having options are the following:
- The opportunity to choose between occupational opportunities.
- Margin if something goes wrong. You have somewhere to land occupationally.
- More longevity in your chosen field than someone without options.
So how do you position yourself to have more options? The following are four good practices which create options and can change your life for the better:
- Education (Preparation) – It is amazing the number of doors which are then open to you with a quality education.
- People (Relationships) – Value the people who come into your life and then add value to them. In every industry you are constantly encountering the same people. Having prevously added value to them will provide amazing opportunities at strategic points in your life. Also, be careful to never burn bridges. A wise supervisor once told me “Be careful what toes you step on. They may one day be attached to the backside you have to kiss.” Though she used different language!
- Skills (Perspiration) – Select a profession you love regardless of the compensation. Because you love it, you will put in extra hours, effort, and study. As a result, you will grow deeply in the skills and the compensation will soon follow. No one pays for average but they line up for those above average.
- God (Inspiration) – As you know, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 4:17 which states “God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exists.” For the Christian, you are never out of options. Just because it appears things are hopeless relationally, occupationally, financially, or emotionally does not make it so. God can bring things to life that are dead and make things appear that don’t currently exist. I say again, the Christian is never out of options.
Please know that options are always available to you. Put these four items into practice and watch the positive changes that come your way.
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