In keeping with the racing theme this week, earlier this year I made it to a championship formula car race.
It’s a hobby and I’m a rookie but I was fortunate enough to have ranked in second place going into the final race.
I knew that if I didn’t risk, there was no possible way I’d win. I’d safely take second. The risk was more important and I wanted to know I left everything on the track.
Are you taking risks in business and in life?
It’s important as a team leader, employee or business owner that you take risks. I’m not advocating bad decision making but growing in business requires smart risk-taking.
Don’t get to the end of your life and realize you haven’t taken any risks. They might freak you out a little bit. It’s well worth walking away knowing you’ve given it everything you got.
If you don’t risk anything, at the end of the day, that’s all you gain.
Question: What calculated risks have you taken? Did they pay off?
Thanks for this Chris. Really needed to hear this reminder this morning!
Great video. This is so true and a great reminder. Thanks Chris.
Why do you always have to be right? :0)
I think as a Christmas gift, us Tribers would love to have a gag reel posted.
Absolutely!
A few of the recent calculated risks I have taken in the last 6 months were:
1. Invest more time in the local business community – it has paid off
2. Bring on a manager to oversea reinitiation of operations in the Philippines (a spiritual battle is underway…so I know it will pay off big time!)
3. Preparing to transition my spouse into our companies full time – I am sure this will pay off 🙂
Chris, I really needed that. It just so happens that I am smack, dab in the middle of taking a risk right now. I am so out of my comfort zone, but I realized that I don’t want to be looking back on my life with regret. In the past, your words have taught and inspired me. Today, they encouraged me. Thank you 🙂
Love it! “I realized that I don’t want to be looking back on my life with regret.”
A life without risks will always be regretted.
Too many to name.
Without going into detail, I can think of five.
1 was a massive success.
2 were neutral.
2 were disasters.
The 2 disasters cost me about 20 hours and $1000. The 2 neutral ones cost me about 100 hours and broke even financially.
The 1 success…is ongoing and is making me more money and is more fun than I ever thought possible.
That’s how it usually goes with risk. But most people aren’t willing to go through the 4 (or 9) disasters or break evens for the 1 major win.
BEST risk I’ve ever seen: https://www.mattmcwilliams.com/
That kid is a huge hit…Why? Because he had the guts to ask for something.
I have three.
1. Moving to Atlanta on a whim for love. Result, initially a major fail but moved to a great city and met my true love.
2. Invested $700 to learn something new. Result, a return of 40k in three years.
3. I just left a job to pursue “Awesome” (Jon Acuff) in by starting my own business in sales and training. Result, I am in the middle of the forest lost, lonely, and looking over my shoulder a lot. But after viewing this pod cast my tank is on full and ready to kick fear and worry in the gut today and beyond. Thanks Chris and crew.
1. I resigned from a family business to launch my own firm.
b. I was asked to bear my soul by speaking to an audience of 500 and I went ‘all in’ to raise awareness of the value of human life.
III. I share my faith at the risk of being mocked (which isn’t that risky for me because I sort of like being mocked.. sick, I know). Great post Chris and I dig the racing stories!
We’re in the middle of a couple of calculated risks….
1). Moving our family to a new city to plug in with a church
2). Launching a life coaching business
Life gets stale without the risks, but I usually forget that halfway through and wonder why I keep putting myself in “transition” seasons. I’m not ready for “safety/sameness” but I am ready to be out of the launching phase and more into a managing phase when it comes to some of the changes we’ve made.