of life you can’t avoid, especially if you want to be successful. As a result,
you have to learn the secrets of taking risks that will help you yield the best
results.
Jumia Travel shares 9 of these secrets to help
you learn to take risks the right way.
Weigh the Risks and
Benefits
Before taking risks, you have to ask yourself if the risk is
worthwhile. You should consider and understand how much a risk taking ventures
involves and its potential benefits. Always compare the possible consequences to
the possible benefits of the risk to determine if the risk is worthwhile to
you.
Be Realistic About What Could Go Wrong
You should
remember that it is possible for your risk not to pay off and you should thus
put the consequences in perspective. You should be sure you can deal with these
consequences before moving forward with the risk.
Never Put Everything
on the Line
This might seem counter-productive, but taking risks does
not translate into recklessness. You have to be smart about it. Avoid over
stretching yourself in the name of taking risks, and avoid putting all your time
or cash into one venture, the odds of ruin are just too high. Always have a
‘safety net’ and a plan B for if the risk fails.
Always Have a Plan B
and Even C
This can sincerely not be over-emphasized. You should always
prepare for and think of a way out of or a way to deal with any negative
consequence of your risks. Please do not take risks that end up leaving you
trapped in unhealthy or inhumane situations. Always plan a way out or a way to
deal with the consequences before-hand. It doesn’t have to be something so
elaborate; it can be as simple as thinking of and having someone to go to if
things go south.
Think For Yourself
You are the one taking the
risk, it is therefore only appropriate that you learn to think for yourself and
use your common sense to reach a conclusion before moving forward. You can
listen to others advice and opinions or contributions, but ultimately the
decision to take the risk should be yours and should be based on your judgement
and assessment of all circumstances involved. If you feel you can’t trust your
own judgement, seek the face of someone whose judgement you
trust.
Take One Risk at Time
This goes without saying. You can
go ‘big’ but don’t go ‘overboard’; this should be your rule for taking risks.
Taking more than one risk at time is like being a woman who decides to wear bold
makeup with bold jewelry, sky-high heels and a sequined shinny dress all at
once. You’re going overboard and like the woman, you’re more likely to fail in
risk taking.
Know Your Limits
Before taking risks, you should
adhere to some personal guidelines. You should understand how much you are
willing to tolerate and what will cause you to stop or back out completely from
the venture. Adhering to safety standards that are comfortable for you, is what
will keep you ‘alive’ during the ‘dangerous’ and ‘uncertain’ periods of your
risk taking venture.
Remember that Risk Taking is
Relative
Everyone has different tolerance to risk taking; you should
therefore never compare your risk taking tolerance to that of another person.
You can push yourself beyond your comfort zone, but never do so beyond what you
can handle if things go wrong.
Be Positive
Once you’ve judged
a risk as worthwhile, have planned a reasonable way to go about the risk taking
venture and have prepared the appropriate safety net, try to be positive and
picture everything going well. Positive thinking will help you build the
confidence you need to go through the risk.
