You want to take a risk.
You’re not quite sure what it is or how you’ll do it yet, but it’s there in the back of your mind—a desire to dive into something new, even if it’s risky and uncertain.
And maybe you’ve tried, but you’ve always backed out at the last minute because the risk was too much for you. Maybe you had no idea how to go about doing it in the first place. Maybe you just didn’t feel like taking that leap of faith.
We’ve all been there: you have a great idea for a project, but you’re not sure how to get it done. Your ideas are sound, but you don’t know how to implement them. And sometimes, even when we do know how to implement an idea that we think is good, other people don’t agree with us—and maybe they’re right.
So how do you take risks when there are no sure answers? First of all, remember that it’s okay if things don’t work out exactly as planned. Sometimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes and learning from them; other times we just need to try something new and see what happens. Also, try out this perspective on failure – you cannot fail, you can only win or learn.
Secondly, ask yourself: what’s the worst thing that could happen? Maybe your boss will yell at you for not doing your job correctly; maybe everyone will think less of you because they don’t agree with what you did (or didn’t do); maybe you lose money trying to pursue a goal or dream, so what? Can you recover? Can you bounce back? What if none of those things happen… then what?
I’m not saying you should not assess your level of risk. And I understand that taking risks is not equal in all spaces and places. If you are the breadwinner for example, the eldest child, the eldest daughter in some places, you learn to separate your dreams from reality. When money is involved, it can dictate the level of risk you feel comfortable taking.
I’ve seen this happen in my practice especially with vulnerability and transparency for men and women.
But, you should also remember that everyone else is taking some kind of risk every day when they get up in the morning too. Learn to start with smaller risks and you’ll see over time how it boosts your confidence and self-esteem by embracing what you fear.
Do This
When you’re making a decision, be intentional and look for the best possible outcome in the future, given all your knowledge and experience at that point. You may not know what will happen in the future, but based on what you know now, which option has more potential for success? That’s what matters when making decisions—the potential for success.
We know that sometimes it feels like we need an answer to everything before we can move forward in life. But when it comes down to it, there are only two options: do nothing or take action. Either way, something will happen in response to your choice; if you don’t make a choice, nothing WILL happen. And who knows? Maybe that nothing is exactly what’s needed for something amazing to come from your inaction!
The truth is that life is full of risks—even if we don’t always see them as such. Live with intention to reap the rewards.
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