4 Smart Ways To Take A Risk That Scares The Hell Out Of You

Risks are nerve-wracking because no matter how calculated they are, the outcome is still uncertain. Tomorrow isn’t promised so why sit back and chose inaction out of fear? Here’s what you should do when you are thinking about taking a risk that scares you.

1. Think about what you truly want

All too often we think about what could potentially go wrong which causes us to shy away from taking a bold action. Staying in a comfort zone isn’t what we want, but it’s familiar enough to keep our head above water. The first thing you have to do is think about what you want and why you want it. For example, during Halloween you see numerous kids standing on the sidewalk, staring at the house they want candy from. They soon realize they have to go through a makeshift graveyard that terrifies them. The want for candy is so strong that they run through the graveyard crying and screaming. Upon reaching the door, they realize everything was fake and it actually wasn’t that scary. Point being, your desire for a certain outcome will push you through the fear even if it shakes you up a bit during the process.

2. Calculate the cost of inaction

Chances are, if you don’t take the risk you’ll end up being stuck. In the book, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho writes about a man who needs to travel to a distant land to find his greatness. However, he happens to be in a comfortable situation as a wise elder in the town he lives in. The man realizes that if he doesn’t take the risk of leaving his current situation then he will miss his window of opportunity, lose his intellect as the years pass, and lose the respect of the people. Don’t settle for short-term comfort because that translates to average at best in the long-run. Take the risk of discomfort and find your greatness because the window of opportunity may be shorter than you think.

3. Look at past events

We tend to attract things that we want but our wants typically pose a challenge. Everything that you’ve gone through has equipped you with the necessary skills to successfully go through these challenges. I believe that everything happens for a reason and sometimes you have to take the most unfamiliar path to get to where you believe you were called to be. Take a look back on your life and you’ll see what events have transpired that opened the window of opportunity for you to take that risk. That will give you comfort and confirmation that your steps have been ordered and it will make your decision that much easier.

4. Have faith in taking the risk

At the end of the day you have to have faith. Taking risks with an attitude that everything will work out is a game changer. If you take the risk and it doesn’t pan out the way you thought, then take it as a lesson learned. It’s better to learn a lesson by taking action than to sit idly and regret inaction. Inaction is a choice based on fear. Life is too short to live in fear!

Make bold choices and take calculated risks. Keep in mind what you want, what failure to act looks like, how past events have pushed you to the opportunity, and always have faith that the risk you take will yield the highest reward.