Life changing how to start taking risks

Life Changing: How to Start Taking Risks freedomiseverything.com /2016/05/25/life-changing-how-to-start-taking-risks/ Yesterday I talked about why it s important to start taking risks. I discussed how taking risks is incredibly important because it helps us to overcome our fears and helps us to grow.

Today I will move from the ‘why’ to the ‘how’. Some people understand that they have to take more calculated risks in order to get more from life, but often putting this into practice is more difficult. Here are some guidelines on how to start taking risks.

How to start taking risks

Identify the areas you want to target The objective is not to randomly take risks and hope for the best. The goal is to identify those areas where you would like to grow, develop or simply get more from life.

It can take some time to identify those areas. Sometimes we put off asking ourselves difficult questions because we are afraid of what the answers might involve.

What have you been putting off? Perhaps it is quitting your job, starting a business or travelling the world. What is important to you that you currently cannot do or have due to your present situation?

Decide what you would like instead Complaining about what we don’t want is typically easy for humans. Defining exactly what we do want is more difficult. This is down to two factors: Saying yes to one thing means saying no to another thing. And we want to leave the return road open Deciding what we want can often mean commitment and sacrifice in order to get it It is a hard fact that choice is about taking one path and saying no to another path. Most of us experience inertia because we cannot commit to one path or the other.

Once you decide what you want and commit to it, everything becomes easier. But you cannot take a risk until you know why you are taking it.

Only knowing what you want will enable you to leave your zone of comfort and start taking the risks you need to take.

Look at what currently holds you back?

What is stopping you from success in those areas of your life identified above? What internal or external factors prevent you from taking action?

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This part is very important because often it highlights some inner fears, which will need to be conquered. Here are some common things that might hold you back from making changes: Family commitments Preconceived ideas about life Social pressures Fear of ridicule Fear of failure Comfort in your present situation Lack of energy or motivation Lack of a higher purpose I believe it is critical to be honest with yourself here. Personally I found it easy to define areas of my life that I wanted to improve. What I found difficult was defining what I wanted instead, and what was stopping me from getting it.

The more honest you can be with yourself the more you will get out of this process. You will understand the root causes of your lack of action. This makes it easier to keep going once you start to make some changes.

I will be blunt: there will always be a whole load of ‘what-ifs’. There are always great reasons for not doing something and this is why people never act.

It is important to understand that our fears will never go away completely. Our subconscious mind’s job is to keep us alive and in comfort. Successful people act in spite of fear.

What is the worst that can happen?

Look at the change you would like to make. Look at the risk you are taking. Ask yourself: “if I take this risk and make this change, what is the worst that can happen?” For example: Perhaps you want to quit your job and start your own business. If you quit your job tomorrow and put all of your energy into building your own business, what is the worst that can happen?

It is an important question because for some people the worst that can happen will be too much. For example if you have family or others depending on your income, maybe it’s a risk too far.

Usually the worst that can happen is not as bad as we first think. In the above example, if you decide to start a business and it doesn’t work, you can always find another job.

Maybe the risk you want to take is investing some money in a course or opportunity. Again, what is the worst that can happen? Perhaps you will have to live a bit tighter for a few months to recoup the investment. Doesn’t seem so bad!

When asking ‘what is the worst that can happen?’, you begin to realise how many things stop us acting that just do not matter. So often what prevents us is purely the idea of being embarrassed!

If that’s the case I have news for you: most people are more interested in themselves. Your small ‘embarrassment’ or failure will be forgotten almost immediately.

Decide what you need to do, and ACT! Very simple. You have looked at what you want to change, decided what you want and what is holding you back.

Now you have to take the first step. You have to take the risk.

This is where the whole process comes to a head and the ‘rubber meets the road’. Can you take that first step to

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get started on your road to change?

If you have identified a large enough reason to make a change, you will take the risk. If your reason is not strong enough, you will stay where you are.

Start small and don’t expect everything at once. If the risk you are taking is a big one, expect to feel some fear.

This is normal and you need to act in spite of fear if you want to overcome it and effect change.

You will probably notice that taking a small risk was not as bad as you thought it might be. The world didn’t explode and you are still living and breathing. You will be encouraged to take the next step, or another small risk.

As you string a series of small risks and small changes together, eventually large change occurs. You will begin to feel yourself developing, growing and changing. Remember that you don’t go from novice to expert overnight.

Or to look at it another way: you don’t go from employee to owner of a multimillion £ business in 2 days. It takes time, risk, effort, growth, change and yes, some sacrifice.

Be good to yourself So now you have an idea how to start taking risks. Get started and take action. Be compassionate with yourself.

Moving outside your comfort zone can be a shock and takes some getting used to. So try not to get frustrated if you feel you are playing it too safe. Risk taking, like anything, is a process.

Also, get support where you can find it.

For me personally the big risk was to start my business online. It was a big decision for me to dedicate that much of my (spare) time to a dream. It was a process and it required the help of my mentors and the support of a proven business system.

Taking risks is the only pathway to freedom! And often a risk is only a risk because we make it so in our minds!

Overcome your fears and the life you want can be yours!

Good luck taking action!

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