An acquaintance recently reached out and suggested having coffee to catch up. We live and work on opposite ends of town, so he suggested meeting in the middle at a specific Starbucks. Knowing that particular spot, which is heavy to foot traffic, but a little more difficult to reach via car, I suggested an alternate Starbucks that is right off the freeway with a parking lot. Seemed like a great alternative to me and should have been easier for him.

So, I was surprised when he said “let’s stay with the original suggestion. It’s a little tougher for parking, but closer to the freeway.”

Mapping the route in my mind from the freeway to each location, I was still confused by the comment. The alternative location I provided should have been closer to him and closer to the freeway. Then it hit me – people tend to gravitate toward the road they know. It’s easy to flip on autopilot and just go. How often do you take the road you know in business? And by doing that, what opportunities to find a better way are you passing up?

A good friend struggled for a few years with brain tumors. He went through ups and downs with treatment and went in and out of contact. Being a few time zones and a few thousand miles away, catching up was always an adventure. But he’s been on my mind for a few weeks now and I’ve been meaning to call. Sadly, another friend just reached out to let me know he passed away. We didn’t have a chance to say those last few words or have those last few laughs. And the last time we spoke there was more to say.

Missed opportunities happen all the time. Sometimes they are significant like the passing of a friend, other times small and go unnoticed. In business, the people and companies that outperform others see the opportunities in front of them. They grasp on and make them happen. How do you keep opportunities from passing you by?

Several years ago my grandmother started clearing out her house – spring cleaning on a grand scale. While not cluttered, fifty years of stuff had accumulated and filled the three-story house. Grandma is a realist – at north of 90 she didn’t want to leave her family the burden of sifting through all the things that don’t have much meaning or value. And through that process, she also made sure the legal and banking documents were up to snuff. She was getting her house in order. She knew that at some point her affairs would be transitioned to her family.

The funny thing is – transitions happen all the time, whether in business or in life, but many times very little preparation goes in to making them successful. As a result, businesses that have been built over a lifetime languish after a transition because key elements in making a successful transition were not addressed ahead of time. Is your house in order? Or, is some attention needed? What steps can you take now to make sure your legacy is where you want it to be?