Introduction

The word ‘decision’ descends from the Greek meaning to ‘cut off’. So when making decisions, we’re really emphasizing what we don’t want more than what we do. And if you spend a lifetime doing this, you find you’ve cut off a lot of what life has to offer. Until one day, weather it be a midlife crisis, a religious experience, or a near accident that shakes you from the hypnosis of routine and responsibility; you start to wonder – “is this it?”

As a student or child, your environment caters to your potential, allowing you to pursue what your heart desires. But as we march decisively through life, those same doors aren’t wide open as they once were. Choosing one direction means you abandon all others, putting a barrier between you and what you could be. And with today’s fate following past decisions, we may not even be that person anymore.

Therefore, to change our lives in a meaningful way we must learn to open those doors again. We need an environment that rewards our ambitions, that paves a path to new and uncharted territory. It is with hope that this article provides a framework for the achievement of this goal, addresses common misconceptions, and inspires the reader to think of how we can be and achieve more than what we currently are.

Principles for opening doors

• Opening doors is extremely uncompetitive

Most abandon what they know to be right because it implies discomfort.
Fearing discomfort, they choose the path of least resistance in their lives.
Meaning few people are standing in line to open new doors.
This is good for us because we can:

• Cast a wide net

The more doors you open, the more likely it is you will find something exciting.
By expanding your network you make new friends and discover new opportunities.
Opportunities lead to more opportunities, meaning exponential growth.
The best strategy is:

• Spontaneity

The longer you dwell on a thing, the more anxious you become.
By acting immediately, you prevent self-sabotage.
Opportunities should imply action, like a hallway implies walking, or a que implies waiting.
This gets easier with time because:

• It is a skill

Confidence is the sum of practice and feedback.
So If you fail, you learned something you didn’t know before.
Meaning a mistake you only had to make once.

Methods

• Engage

The easiest way to open doors is engaging in what you’re already apart of.
If the audience is asked a question, be the first to answer, even if you’re not sure.
If you delay your answer, others will pile in, pushing you to the back.
Be spontaneous.

As you engage your confidence grows.
You’re no longer anxious to speak.
You are at the front of the pack.
People will learn your name, admire your input, and be intrigued to learn more.
Likewise, you learn and connect with others, expanding your network, opening doors.

• Take part

Practice saying ‘yes’ more and raising your hand.
If you see something going on, ask if you can join in.
Regardless if it interests you, you will never know if you don’t try.
Regret is always worse than failure.

If a social gathering, arrive early so everyone sees you.
If an event, help organize it and be seen as a point of contact.
If you play a big part, others will gravitate towards you.
Greetings lead to questions and discussions, meaning more opportunity to open a door.

• Volunteer

Volunteering separates the ‘musts’ from the ‘wants’.
Here you meet people just like you, making much stronger connections.
Going out of your way for others, they are more inclined to do the same.
Without a material incentive, interactions are always genuine.

Join a volunteer group and take part in activities that excite you.
Or reach out to a colleague or friend and ask how you can help.
By spreading your name wider afield, the more diverse your network.
The more people you know, the more places you will go.

• Reach out

Reaching out opens you to an infinite range of possibilities.
The only variable is weather or not you get a response.
Most abandon this route because of just this – the fear of failure.
That‘s why the more audacious your goal, the less likely people are to do it.

Reach out to a CEO, President, or famous figure.
Or to a boss, old friend or colleague.
Your message will be a pleasant change from their routine.

Most people want to help you, their intentions are always in the right place.
So if they get back to you, its because they can.
and if they don’t, its because they can’t.
It’s never personal.

Conclusion

If you are mindful of career growth, the hardest pill to swallow is that performance accounts only about 10% towards real growth, with the other 90% being exposure.
Depressing as it is, it makes sense.
Success is always in relation to the opinions of others, despite how hard we work.

However, the point is this – your success is limited only to those judging you right now.
If we devised a plan to increase our exposure to new people, and thus our panel of judges, this increases the probability that one of them will see real potential in us.
And maybe then, God willing, we will have achieved our goal of opening a door to something new.