It’s great to say yes to the right things but how do you identify opportunities in your life in the first place?
It has to start with learning to see the things that you can say yes to and involves a lot of communication with the people that influence these choices. In the workplace that will be your manager, your peers and other people in leadership positions.
So then it becomes clear that to have the right opportunities come your way, you need to be known to the relevant people in the organization and need to make your talents and interests known to others. If you’re at the beginning of your career or you’ve just landed a new job in a new organization, you will likely have tasks coming your way.
From there you’ll be able to figure out the next steps. Once you’ve been offered an opportunity, how do you know whether to say yes? This is where I strongly recommend you trust your gut. Sure, there will be rational considerations and weighing up of pro’s and con’s, but for decisions that go beyond simple facts and data, listen to your intuition. If something excites you and you keep being excited after day 1, then you’re definitely on the right track.