Taking risks

If it hasn’t already happened there will be a point in your learning where you will need to take a personal risk.

These are the moments, as the Star Wars character Yoda might say, “Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.”

By taking such risks you will almost certainly grow in confidence and capability.

This happened for me a few years ago when a colleague asked me to teach a class on a topic for which I had some familiarity, but had not yet fully mastered the material. I was concerned that I might present it in the wrong way, say the wrong thing, and disappoint the students because of my lack of knowledge. I thought, “I am not ready”. I was nervous.

The result: it was fine. Yes I may have seemed a bit awkward during the teaching, but because I had to take this risk, my understanding and deep appreciation for the material grew, as did my confidence.

There is always the possibility that by taking a risk you will in fact fail to meet the goal, let somebody down, or show to yourself and others that you have not mastered the task or the material.

Remember that such ‘failure’ is an essential part of learning, and that persistence and perseverance are essential ingredients in attaining your life goals—more on this in the next post.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.