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Embrace Risks and Reap the Rewards

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! Today Harry and Sally discuss our choices in life to take a risk or play it safe. From teenagers through to adults, we all are faced with choices on a daily basis – to either stay in the comfortable safe zone or take a risk, overcome our fears and have the opportunity to have amazing experiences which we learn and grown from and often step you up into a much happier and rewarding place! Have a listen and give us your thoughts!

YES! Risk taking is a natural part of growing up

If you have small children, you can observe that they are always taking risks. They are testing and defining both their limits and your limits. As a parent, your job is to allow them to explore, but protect them from danger and harm. When children reach their teens they tend to become big-time experimenters and risk-takers. But they lack without the maturity and brain development to be able to fully sift good from bad risks. There is seldom time to complete the risk-reward analysis before acting spontaneously.

But struggling learners often avoid the risk of failure

I see many children whose struggle to learn has caused them to become risk-averse. Despite trying their best they have failed at grades and slip behind their peers. by the time I see them they are sick of failing through no fault of their own and avoid tasks where they perceive a risk of failure because they hate that horrible feeling of failure.

There are many risk preferences

Riskier behaviour can reflect age, education and social norms. For instance teenage pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted disease rates are much higher in the United States than in many other comparable countries.

Risk avoidance can constrain your adult life

I live in a town full of public servants – how do you think their risk preferences might compare to those working in a mining town? Too embrace a safe risk is to take the chance to grow. And yes it can be scary and uncomfortable.

My model for selecting sensible risks

Our Top three tips for risk-taking

  1. Weight up the risks vs rewards of the choices facing you
  2. Proceed with the courage to embrace a good risk
  3. Learn from the consequences and grow in experience and confidence

Further reading on how to Embrace Risks and Reap the Rewards

If you would like to take the next step with Harry Armytage, complete the listening scorecard here

To find out more about what Sally Estlin does, head here

Photo by Lubo Minar on Unsplash