The risks.

 But underneath every risk resides the fear of uncertainty and failure. 

Taking a risk involves straying out of your comfort zone and stepping into the unknown. 

It involves confronting your fear and taking a leap of faith that everything will work out for the better.

This doesn’t mean that every risk is a blind gamble. Understanding the complexities of the risk involved can help you take managed, calculated risks that make sense in relation to your goals.

This article will explore why we take chances, outline a proven strategy for identifying worthwhile risks, and show you how to take action and propel your life forward.

Once you have a clear idea of precisely what you want, you can create an actionable plan to get there, and fully commit to making it a reality.

Taking healthy, calculated risks can be a game-changer when it comes to success and goal setting. 

But big dreams take time to achieve. They involve a lot of grit, hard work, and overcoming obstacles. Keep in mind that absolutely everyone makes mistakes and falls along the way – the test comes in getting up and growing from those challenges. 

Let's explore how to take more risks.

Identify something you want or intend to achieve.

What are your deepest desires and greatest dreams? Take some time to think of the life you want to pursue. 

In a practical sense, this means really thinking about what you want to achieve – your goals – and writing them down. 

This might not be easy for everyone.

Assess the potential risks

Once you’ve identified your goals, determine the risks that you might face if you venture forward toward these goals. What do these risks look like?

Understanding the form any potential risks could take allows you to more adequately prepare for them, and decide whether or not they’re worth taking.

Think about any potential risks in relation to your goals and then write them down next to the goals you identified in step one.

Think about the impact of each potential risk

When working with clients, I often have them do a risk analysis activity to figure out where exactly they are putting their energy. 

This activity involves writing down their goals and attaching a risk assessment to each of them. The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate what is worth giving our energy to and what is best to avoid.

Assign each risk a value

What’s the likelihood of each risk resulting in a negative consequence? 

To answer this, take some time to consider each risk attached to your goals and try to be realistic about the outcomes. 

Move through your list of goals and associated risks and give each of them a rating that indicates the severity of each risk. Use a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 having the highest impact and 1 having the lowest impact.

Make a plan

Based on the numbers you assigned to each risk, determine which risks are worth taking and which risks you can ignore. 

By implementing a risk assessment, we can eliminate unnecessary risks, and have a much clearer understanding of which chances are worth taking.

Use this information to craft a plan that will help you plot a course from where you are now, to where you want to be in the future.