Happy New Year! Today I share my thoughts on how to create opportunities for yourself and others in 2014.

1. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work” - Thomas
A. Edison
Creating Opportunities in 2014
Happy New Year! May this New Year for you be filled with immense happiness, peace and prosperity.
For me 2014, is all about creating opportunities. For a start for the month of January, I am running a
special free offer to deliver one of my presentations or speeches to groups and associations of no more
than thirty (30) participants around the Greater Toronto Area. At the same time, I will also make the
effort to volunteer my time and skills at the Regeneration Outreach Community in Brampton.
My friends and relatives believeI am lucky. However, I don’t believe I am lucky but rather I tend to
create opportunities for myself and the people around me. Sometimes I just happen to be the right
place at the right time. For example, once I answered my manager’s phone and the next thing I knew he
made me special project manager. Some may call it luck but I don’t. I answered my manager phone
because I don’t like calling places of business that allow the phones to go unanswered. What others may
call luck I call it creating opportunities.
Please allow me to share my thoughts about creating opportunities in 2014. There are five things for you
to take into consideration in order to create opportunities for yourself and others in 2014:
1. What are you core values and priorities?
In order to create opportunities in 2014 you have to assess your core values and determine the most
important things in your life.One my core values is compassion and being charitable. As a child I
observed my grandmother and mother being charitable and caring to others. Looking back now I believe
they created miracles as they had very little yet they were able to share so much with others around
them. They were very generous.
In 2014 one of primary goals is to continue to be charitable. At the same time my main priority is to
provide for my family. Armed with clear core values and priorities I intend to create opportunities in
2014 for myself and others around me. What are your core values? What are your priorities for 2014?
2. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone
In order to create opportunities you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. In 2014, I am
stepping outside of my comfort zone of working primarily in financial services and will explore
opportunities in corporate training, social media engagement and product review just to name a few. I
will continue on my of self-education, networking and asking for help in order to know where to look for
new opportunities. By pushing myself beyond my comfort zone I intend to create new opportunities and
move forward in 2014. I will be keeping my eyes open for new opportunities in areas where I would not
typically. What will you do in 2014 to step outside of your comfort zone?
3. Don’t fail because of inaction

2. Failure is never an option for me but if I fail it will not be as a result of inaction. Propelled by the level of
satisfaction and contentment I experience from my Holiday Season Food Drive, I will be carrying forward
that same drive and passion in my charitable work in 2014. In 2013, I committed to be a source of
inspiration to you and others and I intend to continue doing so in 2014. Think of it this way, I could have
opted not write this post and not to share my thoughts with you about creating opportunities in 2014.
However, as you all know by now I have taken action and I am fearless in my endeavour. If I fail in my
commitment to you it will not be as result of failure to act. What actions will you take in 2014 to create
opportunities?
4. Be in a constant state of alert or military boot camp
To be fearless does not mean to be careless and reckless. I have made mistakes in the past but they
were not as result of fear but rather due to my fierce ambition and courage. You have to train yourself
to create or look out for new opportunities. As I mention about commit to constant training and
education to develop your core competencies. Life is about taking risk and you have to be adequately
prepare to take risks and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to create or exploit new
opportunities.
Think about your constant state of alert as being in a military boot camp. You have to create rigid
routines, structure and control over every aspect of your life. You have to be goal oriented, purposeful
and focus. You have to be always ready to take advantage of the next opportunity. The truth is you may
not know when, where or how such opportunity will arise. In order to create or identify new
opportunities you have to adjust your attitude in a militaristic way. It requires self-discipline, sacrifice,
determine and focus. You have to be mentality prepare to exploit opportunities when they present
themselves. Will you be ready in 2014 to take advantages of new opportunities?
5. Have a plan for 2014
It is start of New Year and you will be hearing a lot about New Year’s resolutions. You will be hearing a
lot about having a plan and writing it down. Create opportunities in 2014 by having your own plan. A
plan is a framework or a roadmap that guides you to where you would like to go in 2014.
In 2014, create opportunities for yourself and others. How will you create opportunities in 2014?
Happy New Year
Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor. He can be contacted by
email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog
http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter
@mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.