Risks are scary. However, if we do not take risks, we never grow or change and are stuck. But risks are so, well, risky! How do we take risks that aren’t too big or scary? How do we know which risk to take? And when?!

These are important questions. People, in general, do not like to change. We know how to deal with what is front of us, even if we do not like it. It is a known quantity. We know the rules and what to expect. It is not scary. However, it may not be a good fit. We may not be happy. That feeling of discontent may grow until the need to do something is bigger than the fear. Or sometimes we end up with our backs against the wall, and we are forced into making a change. Perhaps we are fired from that job that we have hated but were too scared to quit, so now we have to go get a new job. These types of situations create the motivation to change.

However, just jumping blindly is not a wise choice either. As you approach the necessity of change, look at all the positives and negatives. Be honest with yourself. Ask others whose opinions that you trust to help you with the analysis. What might you gain? What might you lose? Can you recover if the worst happens? What is the worst? Is this the only option? Be careful of just looking at one option; there may be several.

After you have done a thorough analysis, then ask your gut. What is the right decision for me? Then do it! Be prepared for having to make adjustments as you start down the path. There may be things that come up that you were not aware of. Or, you may decide that this is not the right path after all. That is not a failure. It means that it is time to go through the process again so that you can now make an even better decision because you now have even more information.

And, as always, enjoy the journey!