Stop Waiting Until Someone Gives You Permission
For a long time, I thought success came from waiting for the right opportunity.
The next interview. The next promotion. The next audition. The next person to notice your work.
It wasn't until much later that I realised something that completely changed the way I looked at my career and my future.
Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren't the ones you're given. They're the ones you create.
That doesn't mean traditional career paths aren't valuable, far from it. I've had jobs that have shaped who I am today and given me experiences I'll always be grateful for. But I also know what it feels like to have your future depend on someone else's decision, and that can be both exciting and incredibly frustrating.
I know what it's like to wait
Before working in the charity sector, I spent almost ten years in the entertainment industry. It was an amazing chapter of my life, filled with opportunities to travel, meet incredible people and do work I genuinely loved.
But like so many creative careers, there was always an element of waiting.
Waiting for auditions.
Waiting to hear whether you'd got the contract.
Waiting for someone to decide you were the right fit.
You could work incredibly hard, prepare as much as possible and still have no control over the final decision. Sometimes you got the opportunity, and sometimes you didn't. That's simply the nature of the industry.
Looking back, I don't regret any of it. Those experiences taught me resilience, confidence and how to keep going after rejection. But they also taught me something else.
I didn't want every opportunity in my life to depend on somebody else's yes.
It isn't just performers who experience this
When people think about careers where you're constantly waiting to be chosen, they often picture actors, singers or dancers.
The reality is that almost every profession has its own version of waiting.
Photographers wait for enquiries.
Artists hope galleries will exhibit their work.
Writers spend months waiting to hear back from publishers.
Freelancers wait for clients.
Graduates wait for employers to give them a chance.
Even in more traditional careers, people wait for promotions, pay rises or internal opportunities before they can move forward.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those paths, but when your progress relies entirely on somebody else's decision, it can sometimes feel like your future is out of your hands.
Creating your own opportunities changes everything
One of the biggest mindset shifts I've ever had was realising I didn't have to wait for every opportunity to come from someone else.
I could create opportunities too.
That doesn't mean abandoning your career or giving up on your ambitions. It simply means recognising that you have more control than you might think.
Instead of waiting for someone to offer you something, you can start building something yourself.
That might be a business.
It might be freelancing.
It could be creating content online, selling a skill you already have or building a community around something you're passionate about.
The point isn't what you choose.
The point is recognising that you don't always have to wait.
The internet has changed what's possible
We're living in a time where creating opportunities has never been more accessible.
If you're a photographer, you don't have to wait for a magazine to feature your work before people can see it.
If you're an artist, you don't need a gallery before you can start building an audience.
If you're a writer, you don't need a publisher before sharing your ideas.
If you have knowledge that could help other people, you can create content, build a community and connect with people who value what you have to offer.
Of course, none of this happens overnight. Building anything worthwhile takes time, consistency and patience.
But the opportunity is there.
You no longer have to sit quietly hoping somebody discovers you.
Why I decided to build something alongside my career
For me, it wasn't about leaving my job or chasing some unrealistic dream of overnight success.
I actually enjoy the work I do.
Building another business was about creating more options for my future.
I wanted something that belonged to me. Something that I could work on in my own time, develop at my own pace and grow through the effort I put in.
There was something incredibly empowering about knowing that my progress wasn't completely dependent on annual reviews, job vacancies or someone else's opinion.
Every conversation I had, every piece of content I created and every person I helped became another small step forward.
Those opportunities weren't handed to me.
I created them.
You don't have to choose one path or the other
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about building something outside of your career is that people assume you have to choose.
You don't.
You can absolutely continue pursuing your dream job while also building something on the side.
You can still apply for promotions. You can still attend auditions. You can still pitch your work to clients or galleries.
Creating your own opportunities doesn't replace those ambitions. It simply means you aren't relying on them exclusively.
There's a huge difference between hoping one opportunity works out and knowing you're building something regardless of the outcome.
The confidence that comes with creating
One thing I never expected was how much confidence comes from building something yourself.
When your success depends entirely on other people's decisions, it's easy to let rejection affect your confidence.
One unsuccessful interview can make you question your abilities. One rejected proposal can make you wonder whether you're good enough. But when you're creating opportunities yourself, you start to realise that progress isn't decided by one person.
It's built through consistency.
It's built through learning.
It's built through showing up again tomorrow.
That mindset has changed the way I approach every area of my life.
Stop waiting for permission
If there's one thing I've learnt over the last few years, it's that most people spend far too long waiting for permission.
Permission to start.
Permission to share their work.
Permission to build a business.
Permission to try something new.
The truth is, nobody is coming to hand you that permission. You have to decide that you're ready. You have to decide that your ideas are worth sharing. You have to decide that your goals are worth pursuing, even if nobody else fully understands them yet.
That can feel scary, but it's also incredibly freeing.
Final thoughts
I'm not saying everyone should start a business, and I'm certainly not suggesting traditional careers aren't worthwhile. They absolutely are, and there will always be value in building a career you're proud of.
What I am saying is that you don't have to spend your entire life waiting for somebody else to decide what's possible for you.
Sometimes the best opportunities aren't advertised. They aren't offered during an interview. They aren't handed to you after an audition. Sometimes they're built one conversation, one idea, and one small step at a time.
If you've been waiting for the perfect opportunity, perhaps it's time to ask yourself a different question.
Instead of asking, "Who is going to choose me?"
Ask, "What could I create for myself?"
You might be surprised by the answer.
