Risks are a complicated thing. If you want to accomplish incredible things or have a chance at being one of the biggest winners in life, then you need to take a couple of risks here and there. Just look at leading entrepreneurs like Richard Branson. He didn’t get to where he is today – a billionaire in charge of a huge enterprise, by simply sticking to what’s comfortable.
Risks are important in life, but they’re also nerve-wracking. There’s always a chance that you’ll come out worse-off than when you started. For instance, we all remember when Branson created the Virgin Brides brand, and that was an astronomical bust. The good news is that you don’t have to be afraid of failure, instead, you should look at risk as a positive aspect of life – whether you win or lose, because it makes you bolder.
Fighting the Negativity Bias
While no one wants to lose at anything, failure is the first step to something new. If you take a risk and fail, then you learn from your mistakes and move on. If you don’t try anything different, then you never move forward – you simply stay in the same space.
The first thing you need to do if you want to be bolder and start taking more risks, is fight back against the constant feeling of negativity and uncertainty that plague us every day. That doesn’t mean that you should start taking uncalculated risks all the time without thinking them through. However, it might mean that you try your luck a little more. You could buy lottery tickets from other countries, apply for a job you’re not totally qualified for, do something that makes you nervous to get out of your comfort zone. While you’re taking these risks, remember to focus on the feelings of exhilaration you get by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, rather than constantly worrying about the possible consequences.
Life is an Experiment: Change your Mindset
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “Life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better”. As we noted above, being bolder in life isn’t about saying yes to everything and ignoring the possible consequences of your actions. However, taking small and measured risks can increase your self-efficacy and confidence in the long-term, so you’re more likely to reach your true potential. You might not think that playing the slots every now and again would have a positive impact on your future, but the truth is that the more you push yourself to explore the “what ifs” in life, the bolder you become.
Start off with little risks, things that aren’t necessarily going to have a negative impact on your life if something goes wrong, then build your way up to bolder challenges. Eventually, you’ll start taking your chances with the things that really matter in life, and that’s how incredible things start to happen. People aren’t born bold, they get that way through the right attitude and behaviors. Start working towards your future today.