The Setup
This all started a couple years back. I read all this stuff online about grabbing opportunities, taking risks, y’know? Felt like background noise then. “That’s smart people stuff,” I thought. Big mistake.
Missed Chance #1: The Side Hustle
A buddy hit me up late one night over texts. “Yo,” he writes, “got this wild idea for selling custom phone cases. Think it’ll blow up. Need a partner. You in? Low investment.” My brain immediately threw up walls:
- Scared of losing money. “What if it flops? My savings are small!”
- Lazy. “Building a website? Sounds like work after work.”
- Made excuses. “I’m too busy right now… maybe next month.”
So I replied, “Sounds cool man, but let me think about it.” Translation: “No.” Fast forward six months. Saw him driving a new car. Turns out he did it solo. Found a niche market. Sold the business. Profit enough for that car and a down payment. I felt sick. That “low investment” was less than my monthly coffee habit.
Missed Chance #2: Switching Gears
My old job was… stale. Paid the bills, nothing more. A former colleague called. “Heard you’re solid at organizing stuff,” she said. “My team desperately needs a project coordinator. Pays more, less grunt work, hybrid setup. Interested?” Here’s how my brain tanked it:
- Comfort Zone Trap. “Ugh, interviews. New people. Learning new rules. My current job is familiar, even if it sucks.”
- Fear of failing publicly. “What if I bomb the new role? Everyone will know!”
- Procrastinated. “I’ll polish my resume tomorrow… next week…”
Told her, “Appreciate it! Let me check my schedule and get back.” Meaning: stalled until she stopped asking. Eight months later, my old company did layoffs. My “safe” job? Gone. That coordinator role? Filled by someone else who got a nice pay bump. Perfect timing blown.
Missed Chance #3: The Skill Skip
Online course popped up. Basic data analysis stuff. Heavily discounted. Useful for tons of things, everyone said so. Platform sent multiple emails. Had the cash. Even had time. The sabotage:
- Underestimated value. “Eh, I can probably learn this free later if I really need it.”
- Prioritized nonsense. Binged a whole TV show season instead. Seriously.
- “Later” became never. Never clicked “Buy”.
Now? Boss needs someone who can handle spreadsheets and reports better. Small promotion chance. Guess who can’t throw their hat in the ring? My lazy self. The course price doubled too.
Why Am I Telling You This?
Sitting here writing this down, two years after most of these flops… it stings. Not the fancy regret, like missing a stock boom. Just dumb, everyday misses where I talked myself out of moving. Fear, laziness, pretending “safe” meant “smart”. Looking back, the costs are crystal clear:
- Lost money (the side hustle profit).
- Lost career progress (the better job).
- Lost confidence (staying stuck).
The lesson that hits me now? Opportunities aren’t always giant neon signs. Sometimes they whisper – a text, a call, a cheap course. They look small, scary, or like work. Ignoring them, saying “later”, feels easy. But “later” is a liar. It usually means “too late”. Don’t be me. Pay attention. Say “yes” faster. Do the scary small thing. Avoid writing your own “Two Years Too Late” story.
