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How would you know whether an opportunity that knocks at your door is a worthwhile investment or just a distracting temptation?

As I mentioned in my last post, after I moved back home following the nuclear crisis, I had the option to take up a job so as to secure an income.

In fact, taking up another job here seemed to be the default and most appropriate option.

When God closes a door, He opens…

…a window! Jokes apart, just when I thought I had finalized my decision to not take up a job but rather pursue the entrepreneurial road, a great opportunity came my way in the form of an exciting and mouth watering job offer. But, was it an opportunity, or was it just a temptation that would distract me from my vision of financial freedom?

Last evening, I received a call from the company that I had separated from just a couple of months ago. They said they needed me, that they were fine if I did not want to come back to Japan, and that they would like me to manage execution of projects for Japanese customers here in India. The best part is that the offer came from the head of the business unit I had been a part of towards the end of my tenure with the company. It sure feels great to be wanted, especially by those whom I have had the opportunity to work with earlier.

Opportunity or Temptation?

Over the past few weeks, before I wrote my last post, I had been contemplating on whether to take up a job or not. Just when I had thought I had made a decision not to, this apparent opportunity mocks me in the face.

A steady flow of (handsome) cash can sure be a strong enough temptation.

I am writing this post as I make up my mind to either accept or reject this offer. Actually it was a total no-brainer and, as I type these lines, I very well know what my decision is going to be. But what do you think makes it that easy for me to decide?

The obscurity of the situation

I had given a lot of thought over the last few years, and I knew that I had to leave the rat race someday. The unfolding of the nuclear crisis gave me a concentrated pocket of time to ponder upon those thoughts and priorities, and finally give it a shot.

However, one fact remains that I wanted to set up my foundation first and get things rolling before I quit my job. I wanted to see revenue from my business before I actually took the leap. What happened after the crisis and the corresponding decisions I took did not let me fulfill that desire. That left one reason open for temptation of a job offer, even though I never did any active searching myself.

But then that was just one reason versus the many others that outweighed it easily.

Clarity of vision

What I was clear about was my need to take this risk and, even if it was amidst a little less-than-ideal situation, to do something about getting out of job slavery, and to do it NOW, while I still can and before it is too late.

Had I been any more uncertain about my vision, this could have been a very tempting situation. I would have perceived this job offer as a timely opportunity or even a manifestation of my inner desires.

Of all the reasons that brought clarity to my decision, the one convincing point was that if I am ever going to delve into entrepreneurship, it’s got to be now or never. I could take up this job offer now and secure my short term future with no certainty about the long term future, or I could risk a little income and a few years of time with hopes of securing a lifetime of wealth – both in monetary as well as non-monetary terms.

Do you have a [clear] vision?

A lot of opportunities will show up in front of you on your journey to success. Whether a perceived opportunity is just a temptation and/or distraction or whether a perceived temptation is actually an opportunity, can be judged best if you have clarity of vision.

If you are not clear about where you are headed and what it is that you are looking for, you can easily misinterpret either of them. What’s more, you might not even know whether your decision then was a good one or not, until it is too late.

If on the other hand you are clear about your vision, you land up being in a good position to make the best decisions.

Whenever you set out to do anything big, always be very sure of why you are attempting it, even though you might not be certain about the outcome. Always remember the reasons based on which you took your decision to give it a shot, failing which life’s situations can rock your boat like mad and leave you all confused. That way, even when things go wrong or if you finally land up not achieving exactly what you had set out for, you will be happy you did what you did, for all the reasons you wanted to do it.

Clarity of purpose and vision can make you the best judge of the choices life throws at you so that you identify and tackle your temptations, while making the best of your opportunities in disguise.

What has your experience been?