If nothing changes, then nothing changes. It’s like taking the same action and expecting a different result than what you get – each and every time. Change is hard, but what is harder is staying exactly where you are, in a place you have outgrown, just to feel safe. It might feel good at first, but you stay stagnant, bereft of freedom to live life on your own terms.
When you think about it, life is one calculated risk after another. Everything you do, or choose not to do, has some element of risk associated with it. We pick and choose which risks we should take without even realizing it. But on a more meaningful level, there are risks we refuse to take because we are simply scared of what will happen. But when you choose to risk nothing, you risk everything.
Let’s take a look at some ways we can begin to take more calculated risks.
1.) Be clear about your objective. Know what you really want and what the risk is if you don’t try to achieve it.
2.) Don’t wait until you feel 100% ready. If you wait until you feel 100% ready, you will never take the chance. Fear of rejection or disappointment is usually what holds us back. Start questioning it. If you ask for a raise and you get told no, what is the worst that will happen? The reality is that you will never experience things in life without taking real chances of things not going as planned.
3.) Write out pros and cons to taking the risk and not taking the risk. How will you benefit by taking the chance? What might be a good reason to hold off on making the move now? Writing out a list like this can help you organize your thoughts and put things into better perspective for you.
4.) Become friends with uncertainty. Feeling uncertain about what will happen when we choose to act can be paralyzing. But uncertainty is part of life and allows us to experience things we may not have had the chance to experience if we stayed in our comfort zone. When you feel uncertain about something, write it down and write out all your fears and worries associated with it. Then game plan on how you can address these potential issues should they arise.
5.) Surround yourself with fellow risk takers. Having friends who constantly try new things and get out of their comfort zone often can be inspiring! We see the positive effects of it, and also how they handle failure or uncertainty. And watching people overcome their hurdles inspires us and shows us that we can overcome things, too.
