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.
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.