So, we decided to introduce a weekly motivational-theme series, to ginger and encourage everyone in their journey to self-actualisation. We call it Monday Motivation because c’mon we know how a lot of us get this Monday blue queasiness, which frankly, can derail our best intentions.
Yusuf is kick-starting the series with a little talk about taking risks and according to him, he doesn’t mean “the jump-off-the-skyscraper-rooftop-with-no-parachute-risk.” Because that “would just get you killed.”
Continue to scroll down to find out more about what Yusuf actually meant by risk and how that might affect your own personal development.
Here’s Yusuf…
I’m sure, of course, you don’t want to start taking risks for no good reason; but because there’s a gap between where you are NOW and where you WANT to be.
But some of us still aren’t quite sure if becoming a risk taker is as fruitful as all the cheesy self-help gurus tell us in their pump-up-speeches…
So let’s be upfront about it: Becoming a risk taker isn’t for everyone. If you’re unsure about whether upping your risk-taking game is the right move for you, then you may want to move on to something else and/or maybe do some basic research to help you in arriving at a decision.
Let’s be clear here, the purpose of this article is not to persuade you to become a risk-taker; instead, this piece is for you if you’ve already made up your mind—you currently believe you need to become more of a risk taker— and you want to achieve a higher level of success in life.
The purpose of this piece, then, is to show you—or maybe remind you—what it takes to become a successful risk taker, touching on some aspects of life with a within the context of building a successful career/business.
But regardless of who you are, where you’re at, or what you do, it’s my hope for you to be able to translate the ideas described in this article in your journey. So, let’s dive in, shall we?
Studies show that the smarter you are, the more risk-adverse you are.
Why? Because rational thinking helps you determine how worthwhile and meaningful a new undertaking (aka: risk) will or will not be.
So, if you were thinking rationally about risk-taking, you might say: ‘I’m already making $XYZ per year. Sure, I don’t love my job, but I’ve got some heavy bills to pay… What if I don’t succeed? What if I fail? What if I screw up and make a fool of myself? What will people think? Maybe starting that business isn’t a good idea after all.’
And on and on and on… Now all the rational, perfectly justifiable reasons to deter from becoming a risk taker start flowing into your periphery and begin clouding your judgment; crushing your dreams for a better future. Before you know it, you’ve convinced yourself that it’s a bad idea to take that risk. That it’s better to stay safe—to stay rational.
Let me remind you, nobody ever achieved anything worthwhile by playing ‘safe.’
But being ridiculously irrational is a different story.
Being ridiculously irrational is not about “thinking positive” and refusing to acknowledge the realities of a given situation. Being ridiculously irrational is about being irrationally optimistic about the future.
But what you do need to know is this: Most of the stuff you try—most of the risks you take—will not work. And that’s okay. Because what doesn’t work today, will lead you towards what works insanely well tomorrow.
Become a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist. It’ll pay off.
Trust me. And never ever listen to dream killers. I remember at one time when most people around me were telling me to stop trying and just get a regular job like “everyone else.” I remember telling them to “f**k off.”
You can do the same thing. Don’t let dream killers prevent you from achieving your goals. You have greatness within you. And you are responsible for sharing that greatness with the world. Don’t let dream killers crush your inspiration. Distance yourself from them.
And if your dream killers are people you happen to love and care for, make the intention of coming back to help them out once you’re strong enough to do so. Right now though, you need to be focused on surrounding yourself with inspiring and encouraging people and things. Things like the following little nugget of wisdom from the famous playwright, Neil Simon can help:
“Don’t listen to those who say ‘you taking too big a chance.’ Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be rubbed out by today.
Don’t listen to the little voice of fear inside you that tells you ‘they’re all smarter than you out there. They’re more talented, they’re taller, blonder, prettier, luckier, and they have connections.’
I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts—and do not make success or failure the criteria by which you live—the chances are you’ll be a person worthy of your own respects.
Successful risk-takers understand the obvious notion that big-time risk-taking has its upsides and downsides. And the downsides—like making mistakes or failing at things—can really suck sometimes. But here’s what separates the people that prosper from the people that perish: Folks that succeed over and over again, have what’s called a Growth Mindset. People that seem to keep getting stuck in life—usually because they’re holding themselves back—have what’s called a Fixed Mindset.
What’s a Fixed Mindset? As Carol Dweck puts it in her (super awesome and mind-expanding) book, Mindset:
“Believing that your qualities are carved in stone—the fixed mindset—creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over.”
“When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world—the world of fixed traits—success is about proving you’re smart or talented. Validating yourself. In the other—the world of changing qualities—it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself.”
What’s a Growth Mindset? Here’s how Dweck explains it:
“This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way—in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments—everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”
Want to boost your chances of success in business? In achieving your goals? In pretty much every area of your life? Develop a growth mindset.
Making mistakes doesn’t feel good. But that doesn’t mean you should let your mistakes define you.
Do not ever label yourself a ‘failure.’ Just because you fail at something, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Always remember: a failure is an event—it’s not a person. Learn from your mistakes, and make informed decisions as a result of having experienced them.
Be like a bull, and charge ahead. Begin before you’re prepared. Good things happen when we begin before we’re prepared.
One of those things is this: we begin erecting our own building of courage… We build up a foundation for that building by taking courageous action. Every act of courage is like a brick. And every brick we lay builds a stronger foundation for our very own building of courage.
The more we lay, the more courageous we get. Courage begets courage.
And remember, you should always “Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” — Jimmy Carter.
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