Are You Ready To Take A Risk?

Life is filled with risk. If we do not risk, we do not grow. Fear often holds us back from risk-taking, but never taking a risk can be worse than the fear. Risk means taking a course of action whose outcome is unpredictable. We may fail, but there is also the possibility of success and reward.

Risk categories can be divided into the physical, financial or emotional. The type of risk you are willing to take varies with personality and your comfort zone. People who have high self-esteem have less fear and more confidence that they can handle set backs better than people with low self-esteem.

Whatever type of risk you take, there are steps that include the following:

Realization that you want or need a change: Restlessness, boredom or unhappiness may serve as a clue that you need a change. Perhaps you are so bored at work that your performance slips, you find that you are in an abusive relationship and are unhappy more often than not, or you find yourself daydreaming about travel or new experiences as a distraction from your current reality.

Making the decision to take a risk: This is frequently where people become stuck. The fear of change or of the unknown can be paralyzing. For those who are risk aversive, the comfort of the status quo, no matter how miserable you are, outweighs the fear of risk. What if you’re not successful? What if you find yourself in a worse situation? When the discomfort of your current situation is greater than your fear, you are ready to make the decision to change.

Planning the risk: Planning is key to successful risk taking. Most of the risks we take are ultimately growth producing, but some risks can be unhealthy or dangerous, such as excessive alcohol or drug use, gambling or irresponsible sexual behavior. Plan carefully. Gather the necessary information you need to make the change. Find resources for making a change. Generate a support network for yourself.

Following through on your decision: Once you have carefully planned your risk, follow through and persevere even when it feels scary.

Susan Jeffers wrote FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY. This book is filled with concrete techniques to turn passivity into assertiveness. She teaches you how to stop negative thinking patterns and reeducate your mind to think more positively.

So what if you fail? Successful people don’t look at mistakes as failed risks, but as setbacks that are learning opportunities. Resiliency and optimism are important tools. For example, changing your attitude from “I screwed up” to “It was a good first try” will help you take the next risk.