Settling for mediocre is easy and safe but it doesn’t take you up the ladder. In any case, if your target is to stand out in your business or craft, you need to start taking risks. Taking those bold steps might seem crazy, irrational, and even stupid at times but the positive side of taking risks makes it all worth it in the end. The truth still remains that as a business owner, prospective CEO, or someone who’s just pursuing their dreams, you need to step out of your comfort zone and explore diverse opportunities, despite the uncertainties. That’s how growth happens.
Being a CEO is one of the hardest jobs. While it seems they just sit down and throw orders at employers, these business founders actually have a lot to grind – from making payroll on time to keeping your employees happy and dedicated, paying taxes, and eventually living up to customers’ expectations, there’s a lot to worry about for a business owner. The most important facet of these tasks might be the part where they have to take risks to move the company forward and most of the time, employers have no inkling of what has been done to keep the company afloat.
What Is The Actual Meaning Of Taking Risks?
When you do something that might lead to a huge loss, failure, or even jeopardize everything you worked for, you are taking risks. Taking a risk means something bad might happen. There is always a high level of uncertainty surrounding risks and the person taking the bold step may have aspirations but there is no guarantee of what will happen in the end.
For some, taking risks means investing big money in a business they are not %100 sure of achieving success while to others, it can be getting over their fears to face new challenges in their craft or life. Whatever the case may be for you, the fact remains that most of the greatest achievements in life started with a risk. Notwithstanding, a lot of people are faced with a difficult time because of the uncertainty of the steps they want to take. The fear of potential failure will always be a barrier but while risk-takers are burdened with questions like what if I do this and don’t succeed? they can also shake off the fear by adding another what-if question from a positive angle.
Generally, taking risks is like threading on dangerous grounds but the benefits often outweigh the dangers. Regardless of the outcome, you get to walk away with valuable lessons that your peers have not come close to. In all, failure is not such a bad thing for risk takers as it gives you knowledge of what you can do better next time.
Is It Better To Play It Safe Or Is It Okay To Take Risks?
We already live in a world where just merely waking up in the morning to start a new day is a big risk so why not make the most of it? There is no denying the fact that risk-taking comes with too many uncertainties, anything can just go wrong and your life will come crumbling down but the good thing is, you can pick up the pieces and keep moving. Playing it safe, on the other hand, might keep you off certain dangers for a while, but you will only succeed in putting yourself in a box without any hope of growth. Besides, in a world full of dangers, there’s very little you can do to be entirely safe.
In essence, it is better to take risks, learn lessons while at it and grow your brand instead of doing almost nothing or rotating the same tasks every time because you think it’s safer. Looking at the benefits of taking risks as highlighted herein, you don’t need to be told that to go far on that path you have chosen or see your dreams come true, you need to take risks.
But what happens when you don’t take risks? Does it mean you can’t succeed without taking risks? Well, there is no guarantee that taking risks will ensure success but when you factor in the lessons you can learn from those risky ventures, it becomes apparent that risk-taking somehow places you on the path of success. Though it seems you can still succeed in certain things without risking anything, you might not know that you have actually indulged in a lot of risks to get where you are. So, yes, it’s okay to take risks because risk-takers aim high and fly higher.
Positive Outcomes Of Taking Risks
Confidence builds up when you take risks
One thing about taking risks is that it suits you up for future challenges. Failure might hurt but if you take it as a lesson, you will have a lot to learn from your mistakes. As a result, the next time you want to take a risk, you will have more confidence to jump right in and damn the consequences.
Also, if you are one of the risk-takers, opportunities will hardly pass you by because you have built up your confidence to grab them. This confidence is the reason an entrepreneur will invest all he’s worth into a business he doesn’t necessarily know the outcome. The same confidence will make a man approach that woman he admires and pour out his heart without knowing if rejection will be the outcome.
You Learn To Overcome Your Fears
When you keep taking risks and it becomes a part of you, you will realize that the fear of uncertainty can be pushed away at a whim. This is because practice helps us develop more skills that teach life lessons and this can help overcome fears. By the time you take a few risks, whether you succeed in the end or not, you will walk away with more knowledge that will help you in future endeavors. Most of the time, taking risks will require you to go out of your comfort zone and this is the best way to overcome your fears.
You Can Stumble Upon Opportunities You Never New Existed
Sitting in that comfort zone limits you to the same things every single day but when you make a move, things begin to happen. If you have ever taken a major risk in life, you can attest to the fact that you learned new things and saw different windows of opportunity you could benefit from. That’s what taking risks does for you.
The opportunities you see while taking risks may otherwise go unnoticed if you had remained in your comfort zone.
You Become More Creative When You Take Risks
The genius in you is usually unleashed when you take risks. Most of the time, you may realize that you need to think fast or lose everything and that is when ideas start flooding in. At a time like this, your entire success or failure may just depend on you being creative. Risk takers have to think on their feet and do things differently to achieve results and experience they say is the best teacher.
You Become Emotionally Stronger
If there is one thing risk-taking does for you, it makes you stronger, emotionally and otherwise. The level of fear of the unknown that comes with risks requires you to be strong emotionally and even though it’s not easy, especially in the beginning, subsequently, you build your confidence and become emotionally stronger.
It Presents You With An Opportunity To Make Changes In Your Life
Stepping out of your comfort zone opens up your mind to new things and opportunities. In the process of taking those risks to build yourself, you will definitely see enough reasons to change some things in your life, employ a better approach to achieve your goals, and become a better person.
Gives You A Sense Of Accomplishment
The fact that you mustered the courage to leave your comfort zone and go after your dreams is enough to make you proud of yourself. In the end, even if you end up not reaching your target, you will feel you have accomplished a lot just by trying. Again, when you consider the lessons learned while taking risks, a lot is accomplished.
Brings A Sense of Fulfilment and Happiness
Risk-takers may come across as sad because of the number of times they failed or lost but they are actually the happiest in the long run. When you look back at the risks you have ever taken, not only will you be glad that you gave it your best shot, you will also realize that a lot was learned through those ventures. Ultimately, when the risk pays off, the person will surely enjoy the benefits.
Before Taking Risks in Life, Consider These Factors
Don’t take risks to prove a point or make other people happy, do it for yourself
You might be going through pressure from family and friends to do certain things. Though they might motivate you to try new things but don’t let it be the bedrock of your decision to take risks. You need to be true to your goal before positive results can be achieved and if you are acting under pressure, you might not go far in your pursuits. Risks are better taken when you are doing it for yourself.
Keep in mind that failure and setbacks are part of the success
You might get turned down severally but the thought that you can still achieve your goals if you keep trying is what keeps you on track. Before you venture into any risky business, keep in mind that failure can occur and that will surely set you back but should it stop you? Definitely no.
Get rid of your fears
We know that taking risks can lead to total loss or even worse but you need to do it anyway. In order to increase your chances of accomplishing what you set out to achieve. Don’t let your nerves get in the way. You can help yourself by identifying the particular factor that is causing the fear and tackle it.
Plan your moves and get the facts in order before taking that leap
That risk you are about to venture into has facts, gather and analyze them to further prepare yourself. If it’s a business venture, you can investigate the flaws and achievements of competitors to know where to start from. In the case of going after your dreams, maybe you want to ask a girl out or you finally want to start that career that has a special place in your heart, read up on ways to go about them.
Recognize the sign to change course
Failure is part of success but that doesn’t mean you will wallow in it. Also, you might set up a great plan to make sure you win but along the line, nature or providence happens and things change. It is important that you know when to change your plans or direction with your eyes still on the goal.
Are the risks worth your while?
Taking risks is good but there is no point if they are not worth it. You can measure the benefits of the risks before you start taking them to ensure you don’t waste available resources on something you don’t really need.
Sobriety is key
In as much as getting high seems to make things easier, it doesn’t allow you to focus on your goals most of the time. Being under the influence of alcohol deprives you of many things, especially the ability to make good decisions. You can still take your alcohol in moderation while taking major risks but be sure to avoid taking big steps if you are not sober because apparently, you are not in the right state of mind.
Keep the naysayers at bay
Some people will not believe in your dreams and that’s okay. But, what you should be concerned about are the ones who try to talk you out of taking a major step toward those dreams. The naysayers always have something negative to say and it’s better to keep them far while on this path to success.
Big dreams are not achieved by playing it safe
You can’t keep doing the simple things you have been doing for years and expect a different result. To fly high, you need to aim high and put in the great effort needed to achieve the goals. Playing it safe might appear great for a while but you won’t go far with that mindset.
Are Risk Takers Happier or More Successful in Life?
For one, risk-takers are mostly people who get to live their dreams by any means possible so why wouldn’t they be happier? On the other hand, people who always play it safe might live the rest of their lives regretting not taking the big steps required to realize their dreams.
With each risk you take, there is a fire that is lit in you, and that passion keeps raising the bars. People who take risks tend to stand out, ooze an aura of boldness, passion for what they do, and have versatile knowledge in different fields. They easily adapt to situations no matter how tough and in the end, the risk-takers are mostly the successful ones, though the journey may not have been easy. There is no guarantee that taking risks guarantees success but the other things you gain from it makes it worth it. Thus, the next time you want to take risks, focus on the lessons more than than the outcome.
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