As you live each day, your Sim encounters opportunities related to social situations, careers, and skills. These opportunities often come out of nowhere—just as they do in real life. Opportunities provide short-term goals, but they are not mandatory. There is no penalty for dismissing an opportunity or for not completing an opportunity. However, because each opportunity has a reward, such as Simoleons or a promotion, it pays to pursue them as best as you can.
Many opportunities are time-sensitive. If you are presented with an opportunity with a time limit, such as participating in a cook-off, you are given the deadline right up front. Keep these deadlines in mind because many opportunities actually require a little work. You cannot expect to complete an opportunity with just 10 minutes left on the clock.
To track your active opportunities, use the Opportunity panel. There are three opportunity categories: skill, career, and special. You can only have one opportunity in each category at a time. You cannot stack opportunities or bank them for later.