The true value of taking risks
You’ve heard that phrase “There are two types of people in this world – those who take risks, and those who don’t.” Well, we don’t completely agree with that statement.
Everybody takes risks. Risks are part and parcel of everyday life. What differs is the size of the risk. Moving from one job to another in the same sector and role has pretty small risks attached. Giving up your job to set up a new business or train in a completely new skill is a different level of risk-taking.
To make significant advancements in life, both personal and professional, you’ll need to take some risks. We think these are some of the true values of taking risks.
Open yourself up to new opportunities
Taking risks can open up new opportunities and challenges. This is particularly true when it comes to learning a new skill. Say you take the risk by enrolling on our coding courses; by learning to code, you’ll be opening up major opportunities to work for some of the world’s biggest tech companies, with a lucrative pay packet. That’s got to be worth it, right?
Become mentally and physically stronger person
When we take risks, we’re often putting ourselves into situations that require mental strength. You might take the risk of signing up for the Three Peaks Challenge. Climbing the three tallest mountains in Britain in just 24 hours is a huge risk as you place demands on yourself that the body isn’t accustomed to coping with. Overcoming those demands such as tiredness, fatigue and all the aches and pains that come with walking 23 miles and climbing over 10,000 feet in a single day requires high levels of mental strength. Risks can improve you both mentally and physically.
Be more creative
Another one of the benefits that taking risks can have on the mind is the way that it forces you to become more creative. Taking risks will often put us into situations that require us to solve problems, and to solve problems we need to be creative. You might’ve taken the risk of setting up your own business specialising in helping other companies make the most of social media, yet you require the services of a good accountant to keep your books in order. Finding a creative solution to the problem, you could offer your expertise to an accountancy firm in exchange for theirs. Taking risks is, therefore, a great way to improve our creativity.
Get your confidence and momentum back
It’s the first step that is often the hardest. Take a bungee jump for example. That first step of throwing yourself off a platform with just a rope is terrifying. It’s also a huge risk as if said rope doesn’t work, then that’s going to hurt. Yet once you’ve taken the risk, trusted the rope and experienced the exhilarating thrill that comes from bouncing up and down over hundreds of feet via your ankles, you’ll be far more likely to do it again. You might even decide to do something like a bungee jump in every continent of the world. That all stems from that first risk you took which gave you confidence and momentum to grow and continue on your journey.
Reap the positive outcomes
The overriding value of taking risks though is that more often than not, they can result in a positive outcome. A risk that has been carefully considered and quantified can change your life for the better. You’ll never know if you can succeed at something, whether it be a career in IT, running a marathon or taking on a Man v Food challenge unless you are brave enough to try.
There’s always going to be a risk involved in trying something new. But if you give it your best shot and put everything you can into achieving your goals, then you can make it happen. That’s where the real value in taking risks lies.
