Maybe you’ve grown tired of the way your life looks now and are ready for a change. Maybe you’ve had a dream in the back of your mind you’ve been wanting to chase but haven’t known where to start. Maybe you’ve played it safe for too long and want to see what’s on the other side of that.

Regardless of where you stand right now, risk taking is part of the human experience, and if you want to see your life change you have to be comfortable with taking chances.

On average, people are more likely to take bigger risks when they are younger due to a lack of inhibitory cells in the brain. Your inhibitory cells are kind of what they sound like, they are there to balance out your risk taking mentality with reason and even hesitation. In your early twenties, as your brain is still developing, these brain cells are not as present as they are later on in life due to your brain still developing. This means that it’s a bit easier mentally for you to take risks when you are young because the potential consequences don’t weigh as heavy in your mind.

This doesn’t mean you can’t take risks later in life, if anything the information lends itself to the fact that later in life you are likely better prepared to take risks because you have a more balanced view on the matter.

No matter your age right now though, there are a couple of different factors to look into before taking a risk in your life in regards to your career.

First of all, what is a risk?

A risk is defined as something that exposes you to the likelihood of danger or uncertainty.

Taking a leap into a new job, starting your own business, asking for that raise, or even leaving a circumstance you’ve been in for a long time. Anything that takes you out of your comfort zone and holds an uncertain outcome is a risk.

So what do you need in order to prepare to take a risk?

There are ways that you can prepare yourself to enter into a risky situation with confidence. These things include:

Knowing your “Why”– If you are stepping into unknown waters, fear is bound to come up. The best way to prepare to meet fear is to understand why it is exactly that you are stepping out in the first place. While you can’t be certain of the outcome of your risk, you can be certain of the reasons you have for taking the risk in the first place. Before you enter into a risky decision, set in stone what is you’re doing this for. Are you doing it so that your kids can have a better life? Are you doing it so that you can start to live a life that you truly are excited about? Whatever your reasons are, know them well and hold on to them tight.

Embrace the Certainty of Fear– When you step out onto a ledge you know that fear will meet you there. Understanding your relationship with fear can help you to prepare for its arrival. How do you react when you’re scared? There’s the classic “fight, flight, or freeze” example that has been used for a long time to understand our knee jerk reactions to the emotion, but what is your reaction? Understanding how you behave under pressure and fear can help you to prepare for the inevitable discomfort that comes with taking a risk. Assess yourself, ask the people around you, and prepare for that emotion when it will come.

Study Your Prior Failures– If you are experiencing anxiety due to past failures you’ve faced it can actually be helpful to look back at those failures and assess what happened. Football teams watch film of not just the games they win, but the games they lose as well. Knowing what went wrong in the past can help you prepare for success in the future.

Get Excited About Change– Change isn’t always welcome in our lives because it’s typically uncomfortable. But when you understand your why for taking a risk you can get excited about the change that will come with taking it. Think hard about the parts of your life that will change and make peace with it with the knowledge that you’re doing this for the right reasons. The uncertainty ahead will lead you to greater joy in the future, and that’s something to be excited about!

Calculate the Risk– Understand what it is that you have to lose in taking your risk and prepare for that possibility in whatever way you need to. Maybe it means tightening your belt and saving a little more money. Understand what it is you’re about to do so that when challenges arise, you aren’t caught off guard by them but are rather encouraged by your prior thinking to keep moving ahead. Preparation is the best defense against against inevitable trials in risk taking.

At the end of the day, the only thing standing between you and the risk that could change your life is the limitations you’ve put on yourself. If you want to see your life change you have the ability to make it happen.

So then, what do you want to see happen in your life, and what are you willing to do to see it through?

Lead well,