There are various connections between both opportunities and planning.  Understanding how different problems (or opportunities) exist in a particular field, can and will lead to how the planning will affect the approach to solve the issue.  Opportunities do not only have to be issues within a particular area.  Sometimes there is an issue to be solved, but the opportunity is not there because of different factors like that market, or resources.  This may be understood initially, or it may be discovered within the planning phase.  Just like some of the videos that we watched in the class, it is all about finding that healthy medium or balance between understanding what it is you want to do, what does the external audience want from you, and understanding what it is that you have to do to solve said opportunity.