Project 365: Day One — Taking Risks

Inspired by Johnson Kee’s 100 Naked Words, I’ve decided to take on a project that requires me to write a little everyday. Unlike Johnson’s project, I will not limit myself to 100 words, simply because I think setting a word limit is limiting in some ways. So I’m keeping a bare minimum commitment of writing one piece every day on Medium for the next 365 days (if I can keep up, that is).

So here it goes, Day 1 of Project 365.

On Day 1, I’m going to write about the 3 reasons why one should take risks. These are simple and personal and based on my observations about taking risks and their pay-offs.

1. Safe is boring: It took me a while to figure this one out, but it keeps coming back to me every now and then. Not taking risks is a bigger risk than taking one and suffering a few setbacks every now and then. You see, life has this way of teaching us lessons the hard way. Now, at 26, I may not know the first thing about life. But you know what? You can never say you know better because every now and then, life will throw a curve ball at you. By all means, playing it safe may have its merits. But by not taking a leap of faith, sometimes, you end up depriving yourself of an experience.
2. Risks usually bring out a different side of you: Most of us feel out of our depth when taking a risk. Again, I speak solely from my own experiences, but taking risks change the way you look at things, the way you make decisions and the way you respond to situations. Risks usually bring out some of your own dormant potential — capabilities you never thought you possessed.
3. Risks definitely help you grow: I have no doubt about this one. A little over four years ago, I decided to switch careers. It was a very emotional decision, one that I didn’t think I’d be able to come out of alive. Four years later, I’m happy to report that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Firstly, it could never have happened without the support of some incredibly special people (you know who you are :) ). At the time, I was shooting completely in the dark. I was at an advantage; I was only 22 at the time, and being in my early twenties meant I could take risks that I couldn’t have taken four years from now. I took a break for a year, then studied communications for another year, and by the end of year two, I had landed my first (non-intern) job. Most of us feel like we don’t belong and fear that all this air of confidence we’ve built around ourselves, the facade that makes people believe that we’re capable and competent — it will all crumble some day — the Impostor Syndrome! I may have felt out of place very often (I still do on occasion); I may have had a few ups and downs, but I genuinely believe I’m happier than most other people I know simply because I feel that the struggles have taught me to have confidence in my own abilities.
   For one, if I hadn’t taken the risk to switch careers, I don’t believe I’d be even half as mature as I am. To turn the popular phrase, ‘With a great risk, comes a greater feeling of responsibility’. You become grateful, you start placing more value in things, because you know the thinking (and over-thinking) that went into taking that risk. I’m glad I took that risk four years ago, because I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for that risk. I believe I’m happier than I would have ever been in my former profession.

To sum up, it helps to take risks. It’s like they say — ‘Never ventured, never win’. The idea is to see the risk as an opportunity to learn something new rather to see it as an obstacle. A risk sounds like a negative phrase, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be one.

For me, even starting Project 365 is a risk because I know that keeping at it is going to be the tough part. But I’m willing to take this risk knowing that even if I fail, I’ll still have learned something in the bargain.

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