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Fear of taking risks

Think about the last time you knew you had to do something but you just couldn’t get yourself to pull the trigger.  Maybe you wanted to get a new job, but something kept you from going on that crucial interview.  Or maybe you just knew that last month was the perfect time to put your money into an investment, but you kept your money on the sidelines and found yourself missing out on thousands of dollars of profits.  Maybe you even wanted to ask out that girl in your office, but instead of going out to dinner with her on your arm, she’s now sipping cocktails with your best friend.

Why do we let these opportunities slip away?  Instead of acting on something that we know we need to do, we stay complacent in our current situations, watching life pass us by.  It’s because we’re all risk averse by nature.  Sure, there’s always that guy you know that has no problems with jumping out of a plane, or putting all his money at risk, or approaching members of the opposite sex.  But the fact is, most people are inhibited.

The comfort zone

We all love to be in our comfort zones.  It means that we know exactly what to expect, and when to expect it.  It means that there are very few surprises that could catch us off-guard.  It means security – we know we’ve built lives for ourselves where we can work pretty well on a day-to-day basis, without having to worry about our safety, the possibility of failure, or getting hurt.

Unfortunately, it also means that we can be self-limiting.  Even when we know we want something, we can be a little too scared to make it happen.  Sometimes, we just need to get over that fear.

If you know for sure that you want something, then you have to do achieve it.  That means taking risks.  I’m not suggesting you take irresponsible risks.  Don’t put all your chips on double-zero.  Don’t buy a ring for the girl you just met.  Don’t quit your job just because your boss is annoying you one day.  But do think through all of your options, figure out what you want to do and where you want to be, write down what you need to do to get there, and then do it.

Taking smart risks

Taking risks is scary.  But there’s a good way to minimize that fear and improve your odds of success, and that’s to plan ahead.  Think about what you really want to accomplish, and figure out why you want to accomplish it.  By planning ahead and being aware of the emotional reasons behind your goals, you reduce the likelihood of taking a foolish risk that isn’t thought out, and consequently, you reduce the risk of experiencing failure.

You won’t always be able to avoid failure.  And sometimes your best efforts to plan ahead won’t make any difference.  But by thinking about what you want and how to achieve it, you can take whatever risk you need to with the confidence that comes with knowing that you are doing the right thing.

Basically, all I’m saying is, if you know what you’re looking for, go after it.  I’ll close this article with a famous quote from Wayne Gretzky, one of the most famous hockey players to play the game:

“You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take”