Without Risks, There Are No Rewards

Many of us want more out of our lives, better careers, and new adventures, but only a few take the risk and go after the things they want. Why? What’s stopping the rest of us?

Have you ever lost sleep thinking about all the things you want to accomplish? Have you ever seen someone on TV and said to yourself “One day that will be me”? Have you ever felt that your day job and your accomplishments are not satisfying anymore? Have you ever stopped in the midst of your busy life and asked yourself “Is this really how I want to spend my life”?

We find ourselves doubting our decisions, making plans and lists, and more plans for all the things we want to accomplish and then never find the time to turn our plans into reality. For those of you who can’t relate, you are the lucky few that have found your calling while the rest of humanity wander and push through their everyday lives wishing for more. They’re unable to quit that job, take that risk, book that ticket, or realize that the right time will never come, because any time could be the right time.

Would you be surprised to know that 87% of employees worldwide are unsatisfied and disengaged with their jobs? This is according to a study conducted by Gallup, a US-based polling organization that has been monitoring employee satisfaction since the late 1990’s. In the whole world, an average of only 13% actually love their jobs, feel passionate about their jobs, and are truly satisfied with what they are doing. The question you need to ask yourself is, are you one of those 13%?

Some people after retirement express some dissatisfaction about their careers and life choices. They express that if they were given the opportunity to go back and do some things differently with their lives, they would take it. Some of them wish they could have been more courageous and realized earlier what it is they wanted out of life. In Margie Warrell’s book Brave, she explains how humans are wired to be risk averse, meaning that we are less likely to take risks or engage in courageous actions. There are many reasons why we steer away from risks and settle for the more comfortable, easy option. In the bestselling book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, he explains that humans focus more on all the problems that might occur when taking a risk instead of focusing on all the benefits they could gain.

Why is it important to take risks, to find that job or career, that life that makes us happy? Because when you take that first step, accomplish that idea that has been lingering in the back of your mind, it will open you up to a very different world than the one you are living in now. Taking a risk can be the difference between you working under a manager to becoming your own manager. It can be the difference between hating the sound of your alarm clock, to jumping out of bed to start your day.

Is it easy? Of course not. That’s why risk takers such as Steve jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are two of the most famous people in the world. Your aspirations don’t need to be as revolutionary as theirs, it is simply a matter of taking chances and finding a life that will fill you with content. In the words of Mark Twain:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

References

• Adams, S. (2013, October 10). Unhappy Employees Outnumber Happy Ones By Two To One Worldwide. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/10/10/unhappy-employees-outnumber-happy-ones-by-two-to-one-worldwide/#3fa7aa4a2f29
• Ditkoff, M. (2012, August 11). 50 Awesome Qoutes on Risk Taking . Retrieved from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitch-ditkoff/50-awesome-quotes-on-risk_b_2078573.html
• Warrell, M. (2013, June 18). Take A Risk: The Odds Are Better Than You Think. Retrieved from Forbes : http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/06/18/take-a-risk-the-odds-are-better-than-you-think/#43c8eb921d09