Life Changing: Why you should start taking risks freedomiseverything.com /2016/05/23/life-changing-why-you-should-start-taking-risks/
Why you should start taking risks Today’s post is one that has personal significance for me and is going to be split into 2 parts. Part 1 (today) will focus on why you should start taking risks if you want to change your life. Part 2 (tomorrow) will deal with how to start taking risks.
What does it mean to start taking risks? I define taking a risk as doing something that is a departure from your usual type of behaviour, in order to seek an unusual result. Everybody will have a different perception of what a risk is, so it’s an entirely individual thing. Most people sleepwalk their way through life. Much of the reason for this is that they always remain in their comfort zone. To start taking risks means to change things in your life in order to begin producing different results.
Why am I talking about this? Risk-taking is a subject that I am passionate about, because I believe that it is a topic that is significant for many people. I know from my experience that I have far too often chosen the ‘sensible’ option, and it leads nowhere but mediocrity. Where I come from in the UK, in my upbringing, being sensible is considered a good thing. Perhaps you can relate to the following statements: • “You take a good, sensible decision” • “Well done, you’ve made a sensible choice there” • “Don’t do that, it’s just too risky”
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These are all conditioning statements that serve to remind us unconsciously of what we ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be doing......according to others. The problem is that later this way of thinking begins to define our lives. When I refer to risk-taking perhaps you have an image of base-jumping, or of skiing down a avalanche-prone offpiste run. I want to be clear that this is not what I mean at all. Risk-taking can be as simple as going up and asking someone out on a date when you’d usually cop out of it. In short, it’s a subjective thing. What I do know is that failure to take risks and get out of my comfort zone has often led me to very mediocre results. Since I began to take more risks, I have seen more rewards; and life has become more interesting.
Why you should start taking risks Most of us are constrained by our fears. As soon as we are faced with any type of choice immediately our subconscious throws up all kinds of ‘what if this happens’ scenarios. Ultimately, we don’t act. Here are a few reasons why you should start taking risks: • You address your fears Our fears hold us back in almost every situation and often determine how we act. Beginning to take some risks forces you to address some of your fears. If you can overcome your fear of something in order to act, you will grow. It’s as simple as that. Classic example: let’s say you have a fear of selling. Deep inside you may know that you need to sell in order to become great in business. The only way to overcome this fear is to take a risk and put yourself in ‘selling’ situations which are outside your comfort zone. At first, you’ll be terrified. However you’ll probably realise that the experience was not as bad as you feared, so you do it again. And again, and again. Eventually you get comfortable with selling and it’s no longer a fear. Maybe you eventually become a master salesperson. Fear conquered, all through being prepared to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone. • Life is more rewarding It’s always fascinated me that we don’t want to do the exact thing we should in order to develop. Many of the most enjoyable experiences in life stem from taking a small risk. Perhaps you are desperate to start your own business but are afraid to quit your job etc. If you do take the risk and start your own business, it may fail or it may succeed; but you will never know unless you try. Additionally, imagine what you will learn and how you will grow during the experience – whether you fail or succeed. Growing experiences are rewarding experiences because they make us feel like we are progressing and living life, rather than life simply passing us by. Remember if you are not growing then you are dying! • You learn more about yourself Only by taking a few risks will you ‘discover what you are made of’. Taking a risk lets you see how you react in different or new situations. Perhaps you uncover an ability to remain optimistic in the face of failures. Maybe you discover that you don’t have what it takes to be a world-class artist. If you don’t try, you’ll never know. Ultimately though, by taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone, you open yourself up to a world of growth and development that you never thought possible. As long as you continue to do what you’ve always done, the only ‘you’ that you know is the one you’ve always been. The only way you learn what you a truly capable of is to get out of the zone of comfort and start making new things happen. You will probably discover huge reserves of energy and resilience that you never knew existed!
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So those are just a few of main reasons why you should start taking risks. In the end though, the main reason is that you just may get what you always wanted. But it won’t come to you for free. To get what you always wanted you have to pay the price: that price is overcoming your fears and taking risks in the direction of what you desire. From personal experience, I know that life is a lot more exciting and colourful since I started moving out of my comfort zone. I am now quite content to be rubbish at new things at first – I know that I’ll improve and develop as a result.
My own example Starting my online business is one of the most rewarding risks I have taken. I was pretty terrified to be honest. However the period of learning and growth alone is worth the risk – let alone the results. If you want to learn more about that business, click here. Hopefully now you see why you should start taking risks! Start small and see what happens in your life! Good luck and have fun Andy
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