The new year of 2024 will soon be upon us and a new year means new opportunities.
When Covid-19 arrived and the UK went into lockdown, I didn't know what my future would hold. I had successful uni applications but wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to go to university to study with the pandemic. I also wasn't sure whether the degree I'd applied for was the right one for me.
And so, utilising all the free time we had during lockdown, I completed several online courses. Eventually, I stumbled across OCA - Open College for the Arts - and found the perfect degree for me.
It was scary beginning an online degree because it requires a lot more self-motivation and dedication than a typical degree. But what made that time in my life even more adventurous was joining FormulaNerds as a journalist and then becoming a podcaster as well.
The point of the brief history of the past few years of my life is that when I was faced with new challenges and opportunities, I welcomed them with open arms. A bit like when I started writing this blog.
Writing is something I've always loved doing but at university, I had the opportunity to study scriptwriting. I'd never studied scriptwriting before, so when I had the chance, I took it. And now, I absolutely love it and have written the opening to my feature film idea, the beginning of a thriller TV series and also a radio script.
At FormulaNerds, being a journalist was a comfortable job. I knew I was good at it because I could write and had done journalism before. However, joining the podcast panel was something so far out of my comfort zone, as was becoming an editor.
Now, two and a half years later, I love being on the podcast and being an editor, attending press conferences etc. I wouldn't have thought I would enjoy these things, but when the opportunities came, I said yes.
So, here's why you should accept any opportunities that come your way with open arms.
You will grow as a person
New opportunities can be scary. After all, not everyone loves change. However, accepting new opportunities can allow you to develop as a person.
When faced with change, people can either run away or accept it and when an opportunity comes knocking, you will no doubt discover things about yourself that perhaps you didn't know before. It can help you progress and achieve what you dream of achieving.
For me, being on the podcast has made me much more confident with my job but it's also increased my self-confidence, and the same could happen to you.
It can lead to bigger and better things
Sometimes an opportunity can be presented as one thing, but if you accept it, it can lead to hundreds more opportunities that you may never have considered.
Accepting opportunities can spark an idea in you, increase your love for something, or simply open your eyes to what else is out there.
If you take an opportunity, it might not always work out. But that doesn't mean it was a failure because it could just as well lead to something much bigger and better, you just don't know it yet.
You can increase your social circle
Nowadays, people say it's more about who you know rather than what you know. And to some extent that is true.
When faced with new opportunities, it's a good idea to take them because you never know where they could lead. One opportunity might introduce you to individuals and experts in another industry or field that you decide is more suited to you. You could also meet and make new friends in your personal life, not just your work life.
Accepting opportunities can introduce you to new people who can be beneficial for you in the future.
It can give you great stories for the future
Most people in life when they're older will look back and think about what they've achieved and what could have been. So embracing new opportunities could mean you'd have fewer regrets in life and could have many more great stories for the future.
We all have the potential to drive and generate our own success and taking new opportunities can be a part of that. And who knows where each opportunity could lead.
Looking back on what you've achieved, on risks you've taken, are both good reasons to not let life pass you by and to welcome change.
So with 2024 only a couple of weeks away, don't be afraid to embrace new opportunities in the new year.
Until next time...