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Risk vs. Regret
Is what we should be asking. Not Risk vs. Reward.
A common phrase is “Risk versus Reward”, however that allows only for logical answers.
When in fact, the most meaningful decisions have an emotional component to them as well.
On any decision (personal or professional) it’s easy to come with more risks than rewards.
What you have to ask yourself is: “How will I feel in 6 months if I don’t take this risk” In a year? 5 years? On my deathbed?
Now some decisions you won’t think about on your deathbed, and those were probably lower risk to begin with.
But big risks, like ending a relationship, changing jobs, starting a new relationship, or starting a new career can change the course of your life.
Or you can stay stuck and unhappy, because it becomes the safe option.
We get comfortable in our current circumstances. Even if we don’t like them or they are unhealthy for us. We know the expectations, we know how the dance goes. It’s “safe” because it’s familiar. The new is “unsafe” because it’s unfamiliar.
On the flip side the new relationship, or the new career automatically comes with risk.
Most of us, myself included, do a great job thinking of all the fears and worse case scenarios something new could bring into our lives.
When I’m faced with big decisions I weigh the regrets vs the risks.
Yes, sometimes those risks are big and scary. And sometimes it doesn’t work out the way I had hoped, but I don’t have regrets that I didn’t pursue something meaningful to me.
And just because something didn’t work at a particular time, it doesn’t mean nothing will ever happen. It may mean the timing wasn’t right, or something else is coming up.
Right before you take the final step toward that new relationship or new career, your fears go into overdrive.
Let’s face it those fears can be rough, cause chaos and self doubt in our decision to start something new.
These fears are part of what scientists call the “negativity bias”.
Our brains are programmed to react quicker to negative experiences than to positive…
