Life is full of risks; very few things worth achieving are easy to accomplish. If you are committed to achieving that big goal, you have to step outside the box and take some risks. There is no room to function below par.
Taking calculated risks can make the difference in the final outcome. Doing things within an ideal environment or playing it safe is a sure sign of avoiding the unknown which gives a false sense of security. Sometimes we make unconscious choices to play it safe, simply because it fits in our proverbial “box” of myths and non-serving beliefs.
As a small business owner, I’m often faced with decisions that don’t always guarantee successful outcomes. I recently made one of those decisions to be part of another organization that has the potential to positively impact my financial goals. The key word here is “potential”. Of course, there were no guarantees. Nonetheless, I stepped “outside the box” and analyzed things without the “fear” factor. The final outcome: I saw the vision and the big picture which made the decision a “no brainer”.
I’ve have put together 5 risk-related stumbling blocks that hinder coaching clients’ from reaching their goals. Part 1 of this article contains 2 stumbling blocks. Stay tuned for part 2.
1. Fear of failure. Success is often seen as the ultimate goal, so when we do not succeed, the natural tendency is to give up and not make the effort. Without failure there is no success, for failure invigorates our creative juices propelling us to try again and again. According to Theodore Roosevelt “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed”.
2. Comfort Zone: As creatures of habits, we become comfortable in our surroundings and are not motivated to explore beyond our reach. In this state, we miss valuable opportunities when we developed distorted views of what is truly difficult. It is natural to feel uncomfortable when trying new things or being in unfamiliar territory, but we must fight the natural tendencies of cowering away from new experiences.
