When people talk about taking risks, it often sounds a bit dramatic, doesn’t it? It’s so easy to picture someone packing up their life, quitting their job, and moving to another country on a whim, or something similar to that, and just as risky, but the fact is that for most of us, that’s not the kind of risk we’re thinking about. And when you really think about it, that’s not really the kind of risk most of us need.
The real growth you want in life is something that tends to often come from the smaller, quieter kind of risks – the ones that don’t need you to turn your world upside down, but still push you gently beyond what feels easy or routine. They can still be pretty scary things, but they’re not going to feel as life-changing as the bigger risks you can take (or that you might even be thinking about, come to that), so they’re much easier to deal with at the end of the day.
What do we mean, though? What is a small risk? Well, maybe it’s trying something new, or speaking up when you’d normally stay quiet, or maybe even saying yes to something before you’ve figured out every detail – that’s definitely taking a chance, but it could be exactly what you need to do. The point is, these risks don’t look massive on the outside, but they still feel like a leap into the unknown, and that feeling, uncomfortable as it might be, is usually where the good stuff begins. So with that in mind, keep reading to find out more about how taking small risks can actually help you grow.
What Counts As A Small Risk?
What counts as a small risk really depends on you a lot of the time. For example, for one person, a small risk might be asking for a promotion, but for someone else, it might be going on a date or joining a new class or even asking for help. It could be something like launching a new business or side hustle, starting a conversation in public, or getting rid of an old, unhealthy habit that you’re used to and starting a healthier way of life that you don’t yet have experience in. It could even be deciding to play online roulette and finding a safe, fun way to do it.
What really matters when it comes to taking these small risks is how it feels to you, and if it stretches you (even just a little bit), it counts, and it’s good. And of course, as with most things in life, the more you do it, the better you’ll feel and the more natural it will all be.
The key thing to remember is you don’t have to do something big and dramatic because you can grow and change in a positive way when you do small things. What you’ve got to keep in mind is that you just have to do something different from what you normally do, and when you do that, you’ll be changing and, ideally, growing, and that’s always good.
Why Small Risks Are Still Important
You might wonder why these small risks are really all that important – surely a bigger risk is going to give you better rewards, and isn’t that what you’re after at the end of the day? Well, the fact is that small risks definitely add up, and one small risk leads to another, and then another, and then another… and in the end, you’ll be in a place you wouldn’t have been in otherwise if you hadn’t taken that first risk at all. Making all these choices, with the right information and backup, can help you change your perspective. And they’ll definitely build confidence as well as teach you what you’re actually capable of – can you see how you’ll get further this way?
Yes, there will probably be a little feeling of doubt, and you might ask yourself if you really should be doing this and making these choices – that’s only natural. And actually, those questions are good and can be seen as a positive sign because it means you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone and that’s when you can start to grow. Remember, you don’t have to be fearless about it all, just need to be willing to feel a bit uncomfortable when you’re trying something new because you’ll get through it and be in a better place.
Trying Without A Guarantee
One of the hardest things about taking even the tiniest risk is not knowing how it’ll turn out – that makes sense. In other words, you might get the outcome you hoped for, but… you might not. That’s what risk is about – it doesn’t always work out. But what it does always do is teach you something, and you’ll have learned what to do or not to do in a similar situation in the future, and you’ll get some clarity about whatever it is you’ve been doing. That’s going to help when it comes to taking risks in the future, so even if it didn’t quite work out this time, you may well have learned enough to make sure it does next time.
And when you think about it, learning to take chances without needing a guarantee is really the point – it’s part of the risk-taking process. That’s when you can really grow your confidence because you may not always get things right, but you’ll know things will be okay even if mistakes are made. Plus, sometimes taking those changes will pay off in ways you didn’t expect, which can actually get you further ahead than you expected. True, sometimes that won’t happen, but you don’t know until you try.
When Will You Feel The Change?
If you’re going to take these small risks, when can you expect to feel the change or see the differences? In other words, when is it going to pay off? Well, it usually happens after you’ve done something that felt pretty tricky and challenging, but that you did anyway – you pushed through. After that, you’re going to feel different because you did the thing no matter how scared you were. Maybe you won’t be instantly transformed into someone who’s one hundred percent successful (who is?), but there will be a change and a shift in how you’re feeling about things, and you might realise you can do a lot more than you thought.
And once you’ve felt that change, it’s going to be a lot easier to find it again because you know what it takes, and over time, you’re going to grow and build confidence so you can take bigger risks, which is vital if you want to really get ahead.
Not All Risks Will Be Noticed
Whatever you think about the risk you’re taking, the fact is that some risks don’t look like much to the outside world – they still take courage, though, so don’t let that put you off. Remember, you’re doing thing for you, not someone else, so if you’re the only one who knows what you’ve done, that’s fine – it might even be for the best (especially if you don’t want your competitors to know what you’re up to).
These kinds of risks might not get you a lot of praise and recognition, but they’re still just as powerful as anything else.
You Might Have To Trust Your Gut
Your gut is often the first thing to really react when a small risk comes up and you need to make a choice about it. You might literally feel a bit of a flutter, or perhaps you’ll have a thought about whether this is a good or bad thing pop into your head without you even thinking about it. Whatever it is, however you feel it, trusting your gut can often be a good idea – it’s at least something to get you really thinking and questioning, even if you realise you don’t have to follow your initial thoughts.
Not every instinct is going to lead to the perfect result, and you can definitely still make mistakes when you trust your gut, but the thing to remember is that over time, you’ll get a lot better at knowing which ideas to trust and which ones you don’t have to follow, and that’s worth understanding more about even if it means making some mistakes at the start.
Stretching Yourself Is Good
When you’re taking these small risks, the goal isn’t to push yourself so far that you feel totally overwhelmed and you can’t go any further – it’s clear that growing isn’t going to happen if you burn out. What you actually need to do is expand and grow in a way that’s sustainable, otherwise it doesn’t matter what you learn or what you do because you’ll get worn out and stressed, and that’s not going to help you get further ahead.
The great thing about small risks is that they let you test the waters about things, and they can be helpful about giving you some useful information to help you make bigger decisions later on. And even if they don’t do anything else, they’ll remind you that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable at times (and if you want to grow, it’s essential).
This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the operations of The We Spot—thank you for your support! The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The We Spot, its owners, employees, sponsors, or affiliates. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or therapeutic advice. Readers should consult a qualified professional before making any decisions based on the information provided.
