“It’s a good opportunity. Actually, it’s a great opportunity. I just wish I could do it after yearend.”

“Is that an option?”

“No. They want to fill the role as soon as possible.”

“Makes sense.”

“I just wish this was happening down the road a few months.”

“Sounds like you’re doing a lot of wishing.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means stop wishing.  The timing will never be perfect.”

“I know that.”

“Doesn’t sound like you do. Look, in life there will be opportunities, but there will never be a perfect opportunity.”

He was right. In fact, he couldn’t have been more right. Opportunities, no matter how good, are chances. They are chances to do something different. And, by doing something different, you accept an inherent degree of risk.

We don’t always call it risk. Sometimes we think of it as trade-offs. We discuss the pros and cons. We mull over the timing. We nitpick about the location. We dwell on the changes we’ll have to make. But, regardless of the label we use, they are all risks.

The risk associated with the day-to-day opportunities we encounter is negligible. When we have an opportunity to go to the ballgame, we don’t think of the risk associated with neglecting whatever else we would have done with that time. But, it’s there.

When we encounter larger opportunities, the risk becomes much more evident. The opportunity to get married, to buy a new home, to pursue a goal, to accept a new job, these all come with risks. And, no matter how great the upside, we can still envision the downside, and this is what gives us pause. The fear of the unknown prevents us from upsetting our current circumstances and the anxiety of making the wrong choice amplifies every detail of our decision.

The reality is simple. Within every opportunity, the risk will never be zero and the gain will never be guaranteed. There is no perfect age to get married and there’s no perfect time to have kids. You’ll never have the right amount of money. You’ll never be settled “enough”. When you have an opportunity to buy a new home, the market may not be perfect. It may not be the best environment in which to sell your old one. That new job offer won’t be perfect. Not every aspect will be an upgrade. Not every change will be favorable.

Everything will come with trade-offs. There will be negatives within every decision. But, don’t discredit an opportunity because you can point out its flaws. Understand that no change will be foolproof. There will never be a perfect opportunity.