For years, you have worked towards achieving that perfect work-life balance. Now, you have it down to an art and you are living and loving life. Then one day you wake up and BAM! A new, fabulous opportunity knocks at your door. Your logical inner voice says, “You just mastered this life. Don’t shake things up now.” But, that other, more adventurous you, says, “Go for it and live to your greatest potential.”
The inner battle continues. Your free-spirited self, reminds you of your college days, when you were spontaneous and lived in a not-so-calculated world. You still adore her, but are afraid to embrace her. Remember, living a balanced life calls for…balance! This includes the balance of professional and personal life, but also the balance of a calculated and care-free life. These 5 rules of risk-taking will help you maximize your potential, while still living a balanced and sane life.
Take the risk if you will regret the inaction more than the action. When you are confronted with a new and risky endeavor ask yourself, “How would I feel if I don’t do this?” Would you look back five years from now and regret your decision? If so, then go for it. There is nothing like living a life clouded by “what if’s.”
Take the risk if your biggest fear is rejection. Recently, a great opportunity came my way and I almost rejected it. My best friend asked, “What is the worst that could happen?” As it turned out, I feared failure. Once you identify the worst case scenario, ask yourself, “Is that good enough?” My answer was a big fat N-O. A hurt ego is not a good enough reason to pass up a potentially, career-changing opportunity. What is your answer?
Remember that risk is relative. My notion of a risk is not the same as yours and vice versa. For example, what you define as a risk might be based upon the amount of money it requires while my risk might be defined by how much it will limit my time to work on other projects. Only take on what is appropriate for your situation.
Visualize the best outcome. You are uniquely created and no one else can do what you do, how you do it. After all, that is why this opportunity found its way to you in the first place. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and imagine your success. It feels good doesn’t it?
Stop worrying about perfection. You may be more likely to take on a risk once you eliminate the perfection factor. I was hesitant to launch my blog because I wanted to wait a few months to get it “just right.” Launching an imperfect blog was just not the risk I wanted. In reality, nothing is ever perfect. We constantly find imperfections and ways to fix them. If we continue to wait for perfect moments then our lives will be one, long waiting game.
Patrice N. Perkins is the founder and editor of My Lifestyle ZEN, a Chicago-based blog for working professionals and entrepreneurs who value quality of life. You can visit Patrice’s website here: http://www.mylifestylezen.com/
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January 31st, 2011 at 5:16 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CRAVE Chicago, CRAVE Chicago, CRAVE Portland, Arpen Thandi, CRAVE San Francisco and others. CRAVE San Francisco said: We have a BONUS post on our blog from @mylifestylezen's Patrice Perkins featuring 5 risk rules for a balanced life! http://bit.ly/gGFFrO #fb [...]
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Rules to live by…the worst thing to do is be inactive. Thank you!
July 27th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Great article! I too waited until my blog was “perfect” before launching. I honestly think that holds most people back. You’re afraid to put your name on something that may embarass you. I finally had to roll it out ready or not. My blog is all about “A Balanced Life” so this is perfect!