I’ve always been one to take risks no matter the odds, defying those in front of me. To a certain degree, this is great and helps prevent regret although rational thinking and following intuition can be forgotten when taking risks.
My cousin and I were scammed out of £650 that could have easily been avoided if I had just followed my intuition, instead of heedlessly saying ‘ah it doesn’t matter if I lose £650, I lose £650, let’s do it’. If I had paused and weighed the loss vs the gain, I may not have taken the risk. The £650 I lost wasn’t gambling, it involved a phone I was purchasing. Long story short, my cousin and I were right about it being a scam and we said yes to the deal even though our alarm bells were ringing.
Risk can mean time not just money
Regardless of the risk, it’s usually associated with money, hence why you probably don’t wish to take the leap of faith. It’s hard-earned money you’d rather spend on your interests or save for an emergency. Not all risks involve money (well to a certain extent they do but little funds can still produce results). This blog is a terrific example. I originally started this blog to work on my writing skill to help with when I attend University, sometime in the near future. I know academic writing and blogging is different however, getting into the habit of writing will help. Having said this, I’ve recently changed my intention of this blog. I still wish to improve my writing, but I also wish to grow my email list to eventually earn an income through sending out blogs containing my experiences and hopefully encourage action. This is a huge risk; my time is at stake, and I may never succeed. Five months on and I have 11 subscribers, out of the 11 subscribers 2 or 3 open my weekly emails, and I receive one or two likes per post, sometimes zero. For some this may be disheartening, I may not have the numbers right now but improving on my writing is my main focus. The numbers will come with time, I’m disciplined enough to keep going.
It's hard to gauge risks when you don’t take many, I mean what was the last risk you took? A risk can even be trying something new on the menu at your favourite restaurant. Yes, it’s not extreme but believe me, little acts show a lot about your character. If you’re willing to cast aside your comfortable state for a moment you’d feel the euphoria when the risk goes in your favour. Of course, this goes both ways, and it can be frustrating when it goes against you. Nevertheless, you still tried and maybe even learned something.
Let’s end with this. Get comfortable losing money and time because that’s going to happen even if you try your best to avoid it. Attempt an endeavour you’ve been meaning to do and if you fail, you’ll still win. As cliché as this sounds, you can never really lose if you make effort to learn. It’s taken over a decade to decide my path in life but without the struggle and confusion I’d never have learned a thing. Wisdom and experience are a by-product of risk, the most wise and experienced are those who’ve either risked a lot or done a lot. Take risks before it’s too late and your risk tolerance lowers.