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Windows of Opportunity

Definition of window of opportunity: A space in time that suddenly appears, like magic, making things possible that were not previously possible; thereby presenting precious opportunity for something new to happen.

Every day, we experience in ourselves the presence of two powers:

–  The disruptive power, in a higher sense, of the presence of fresh, new energies and possibilities of the unwritten future.

–  The arresting power of deeply ingrained ways and habits of yesterday.

How much of today we cram up with yesterday determines how much space we make for the future to appear into.

The future is pressing in. Each one of us may be feeling it differently. Some through the urge to take a break and do ‘something else’. Others, as an inner impulse to refine or change their lifestyle. Or, to create and innovate in many contexts.

Here is a simple math equation: Today’s window of opportunity = new space – Yesterday

There is, of course, no way around bits of yesterday re-appearing today. Certain habits, states of being and states of knowledge form and reform the platform of sanity and stability and the launching platform for new ventures into our tomorrows.

But what about the habits and time and energy consuming squabbles with inconsequential things that are nothing more than a drag factor upon our evolutionary opportunity?

What developmental technology can we apply to help escape the consuming and inconsequential?

Creating space for something else

While there is more than one answer to the above question, one way of achieving it is: To create space for something else, in some way, every day, and in every opportunity.

Do it in the morning before the day invades and takes over. Do it at night, before bedtime. Take a side-step whenever you can during the day to have quiet moments of reflection. Take a walk in an unusual time, listening, feeling, dwelling, contemplating… asking yourself seemingly silly questions such as “what is the universe up to today?” “What might be my role therein?” Because humans have a part to play.

Little super efforts

In your people dealings, task yourself to respond rather than react. Be warm and considerate even if it is the last thing you feel like being. Make little super efforts to listen properly. Train yourself to be an outcome designer – the hidden skill of great leaders – in your dealings with people by determining the state they walk away with after meeting you.

Task yourself to do things that live outside of the prison of mental conformity. Develop a space-creating, exploring conversation with the greater you to seek for deeper wisdom, common sense or sound advice in different contexts. Use your imagery to imagine and reimagine the future and the part you seek to play therein. Compose and enact the tune, beat or little dance of the day. Write down what stands out to you in different situations. Pay attention to small, seemingly unobtrusive matters to realise that they may be far more telling than at first sight. Integrating consistently this practice into your life may bear surprising impact in unexpected ways.

The first reaction to change is resistance

From your work experience, you know that processes that call for rapid change in behaviour and innovation can only materialise in a new space. The first thing that rears its head upon embarking on a change process is a reaction of everything that resists it. It is your task as a leader to engineer a window of opportunity for it to happen and succeed.

Tomorrow is a new window of opportunity

The universe creates for the human evolutionary windows of opportunity. The human’s task is to step into this delicious unknown to explore and create in countless ways. Fractals within fractals; windows within windows.

Leaders are windows of opportunity specialists. For themselves and then, for others. The other side of the dire straits that the world is in is an incredible window of opportunity the like of which the world has likely never experienced. It is constantly present close-by, at your fingertips, gates wide-open.

Life is a window of opportunity. Living is the act of realising it anew every day

David Gommé

World Copyright 2020© David Gommé