Don’t fail to risk – all success is the flipside of risk

“Whatever the mind of man/woman can conceive and believe, so shall he/she achieve.” —Napoleon Hill

One of the characteristics that infiltrates the lives of most successful businesses or successful people is the characteristic of courage: the courage to face adversity and the courage to accept, and even encourage, risk. There is no question that goal setting advocates risk. Successful people and businesses incorporate goal setting into their lives and follow a process of goal accomplishment to make sure that their goals move from the “dream state” to the reality state. They are willing to risk. Risk is one of the essential elements of success.

Accomplishing goals, both on a professional and personal level, takes careful planning and unrelenting commitment. As Napoleon Hill says, one must conceive the goal and then believe that the accomplishment of the goal is possible. Therein may be the greatest challenge: believing that the goal can, indeed, be accomplished. Many people don’t establish goals because they fear that they will face failure. They may not believe in themselves, in their own abilities or in the abilities of others. So, they take the easy road and avoid the risks that go along with goal setting.

There is some risk when you establish a goal, when you make a decision to stretch beyond your present status. However, for every risk that you will take when you decide to stretch, there is an equal amount of benefit that will reciprocate. The law of thermodynamics states that the energy in any closed system always remains constant. That means that the energy put into a system must always be balanced by the energy going out.

Remember this scientific truism when you are setting and establishing your goals. Small goals will derive small results. Big goals will result in major results. And, of course, no goals will equal no results. If you do not choose to move forward, nothing will change for you.

The Joy of Risk

Certainly, when you decide to establish goals that will move you to a better, more productive place, a more stress-controlled place, a more fulfilling place or a happier place, you will face risk. Risk is like a two-sided coin. On the one side of the coin called “risk” is the chance that you will make mistakes. However, if your attitude is one of discovery, you will learn amazingly valuable things from each and every mistake. You will learn all kinds of things you don’t want to do anymore, things that don’t work, and things you want to do more precisely. Achievements usually follow the taking of a risk.

Most people back off of a challenging situation just when they should be taking decisive action. Those leaders who have the courage to face the challenging situations, stand tall and firm and make decisions are the leaders who accomplish the extraordinary, the exceptional, the goals. Most people do not exemplify this kind of courage. Courage is the hallmark of a leader.

A risk-taker is clear about what he/she wants. They are willing to work long hours and put forth the necessary effort to go beyond the normal. They reap the long-lasting rewards of their efforts and their commitment.

The greatest of all risks is to do nothing, to sit on the sidelines holding your own self back. No one holds anyone else back. The resistance comes from within oneself. This leads to procrastination or avoidance or both. Procrastination comes when one tries to live a life that is risk free. Procrastination or avoidance evolves from a fear of failure, which is the number one reason why people do not write goals in the first place.

Oftentimes a risk-taker is heavily criticized by her/his profession, family and friends and sometimes by team members. If you accept risk, be prepared to be criticized and discouraged.

For example, oftentimes when a doctor wishes to go through consultation, he/she is discouraged by an accountant, a spouse, colleagues or the team. There is risk. There is a demand for effort and energy. There is change. However, on the other side of the process is the reaching of goals and ultimate satisfaction and success. Don’t let anyone get in the way of the reaching of your dreams.

Don’t be your own worst enemy. If you believe you can’t, then you, indeed, can’t. Your own thoughts lead to your own “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Take the lid off of your dreams. Believe in possibility. Imagine.