How Taking Risks Leads to a More Creative and Fulfilling Life

In this world that breathes such nonsense about the importance of stability above all, taking risks seems a little scary, a little senseless. But without the leap into the unknown, personal growth becomes pretty limited. Risk is a pretty important catalyst for discovering what we’re capable of doing, making horizons more expansive, and reaching our fullest potential.

Be it in taking the bold move to change careers or in some act of bravery to present an altogether novel idea, sometimes risk sparks change. Each step forward fosters confidence, nurtures resilience and flexibility, and lays the groundwork necessary for existence in this rather fluid world. While risk-taking may at times be uncomfortable at best, the rewards that come are profoundly life-enriching: a life of meaning, creativity, and the fulfilment of becoming all we’re meant to become.

The Relationship Between Risk and Growth

For the time, risk-taking always acts as a catalyst for self-discovery. Authors who have researched the psychology of guts, like Robert Biswas-Diener, write that even about risk-taking and courage: “Those who become such courage veterans are defined and mapped out by massive movements into their comfort zones. They help move clients from their comfort zones to discover new things about their capacities and capabilities.”. By pushing ourselves, we not only intellectually and emotionally grow but also give ourselves opportunities for success that would have otherwise been closed to us.

Building Confidence Through Challenges

Risk-taking, of course, is one sure result in boosted confidence. Psychology studies highlight how challenges shape an individual’s perception of their abilities, as facing difficult conditions often fosters greater self-efficacy and confidence in one’s capabilities (Bandura, 1997). Thus, each risk taken increases the locus of control, and in turn, every obstacle that has been overcome increases the level of self-esteem.

For example, if a person thought of leaving his or her current job for his or her “dream job,” then this change in life certainly appears to be enhancing the self-confidence in the person. Firstly, this person has to undergo a fluctuating ratio between searching and finding a job. He or she has to obtain new skills related to the desired job and gradually find a job that matches an individual’s interest. All these steps provide an individual with the confidence to carry on with facing various challenges in life.

Building Resilience

It also results in risk-taking in building resilience. Resilience has been termed by psychologist Angela Duckworth as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals” (Duckworth, 2016). There is always a possibility of failure that surfaces sometimes when a risk is taken. Failure and recovery are actually what teach resilience, learning that setbacks are parts of growth rather than the endpoints themselves.

Read More: How To Deal With Failure And Rejection?

Athletes, being performance maximizers, are always on the risk side because they try to introduce new techniques and higher goals. Such risks hold possible failure. However, such athletes deal with failures and learn from them, thus making better handling of such eventualities possible in the future.

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Risk-taking promotes creativity and innovation, hence personal and professional growth. The risk-taker thinks creatively and hence brings novel solutions to problems. This is evident from studies suggesting that risk-takers have more creative thinking capacity and introduce new solutions (Amabile & Pratt, 2016). This is because taking a risk forces a person into trying out new concepts and breaking the traditional method of doing things.

For instance, a student who would choose an unusual topic for a research paper is sure to attract negative comments. However, it might bring up new insights and interesting perspectives that would add value to their learning and intellectual growth. Similarly, in the professional world, ‘out of the box’ thinkers who throw up novel solutions may yield better outputs, hence their experience at work is more rewarding and rich.

Read More: 10 Subtle Signs of Highly Creative People, According to Psychology 

Achieving Agility to Flourish in an Ever-Changing World

Adaptation to new challenges or situations is a competency imperative in today’s highly unpredictable world. Most situations a person encounters when risking arise as novelties from earlier experiences. In findings for adaptability, individuals who take risks more often are more adaptive because challenges increase their ability to cope through adjustment, critical thinking, and agility in various situations (Pulakos et al., 2002).

A very common example of this experience is travel. Travellers encounter other languages, customs, and environments as they come to other countries. This forces them to adapt, develop problem-solving skills, and cultivate a level of tolerance for uncertainty. Adaptability is very valuable as it allows individuals to excel both in their personal lives and careers.

Making Better Decisions

The guts to take risks strengthens decisions in personal growth, and over the period, we learn to weigh the pros and cons of things when we are faced with choices where the outcomes are uncertain. This process happens quite often in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs continually take calculated risks. Those decisions form pivotal determinants of what direction their enterprises will take. The entire experience thus helps to hone such a decision-making skill, teaching them how to objectively analyze situations, predict outcomes, and make choices that fit their goals. Even in the ordinary person, risk-taking enhances their ability to make good decisions in every area of their lives, from changes in career paths to personal
relationships.

Overcoming Fear and Building Emotional Intelligence

Overcoming fear is possible by only confronting that fear. Appropriately, fear stands as the final block in the construction of emotional intelligence-self-awareness and self-regulation (Goleman, 1995). Risks assist people to have greater familiarity and control over emotions. Through confronting fear and uncertainty, a person derives more mastery over their reaction, which is needed for personal development.

For instance, if they have a fear of public speaking, but on a conference day, they decide that they cannot take it anymore and wish to present at that conference. This idea makes them shudder at first, but through this experience, they come to comprehend their anxiety and start managing it and, eventually, get better at handling similar situations in the future. This heightened emotional intelligence thus ends up helping them not only in public speaking but in increasingly tough situations across various areas of life.

Read More: How Emotional Intelligence Plays an important role in Your Life

How to Take Calculated Risks for Personal Growth

Though risk-taking has very appealing benefits, it should always be approached thoughtfully. Here are some strategies for taking calculated risks while minimizing the downsides:

• Start small: Start with risks that can be in your control and manageable. This helps you build confidence and resilience without feeling fearful.
• Set clear goals: Identify what you hope to achieve through taking a certain risk. This will help stay focused and motivated.
• Prepare for Disappointment: Consider what could go wrong and then plot how you will conquer those problems. It takes the fear of failure away and increases one’s resilience.
• Learn from Failure: Treat failure as an opportunity to learn rather than as a failure. What did you do wrong? Use those insights to inform your next decision.
• Positive Network: Consult for ideas and inspiration from people you trust. It is through a positive network that risks are less dreadful and keep you on track.

Examples of Risk-Taking Leading to Growth

Real-life examples show how risk-taking improves the way people grow and function. For instance, J.K. Rowling has written the Harry Potter books, but at first, their rejection happened many times before they were published. Finally, continued work, despite the risk faced in the process, enabled J.K. Rowling’s novels to boil over into an international phenomenon, showing what risk-taking can bring into a person’s life.

Steve Jobs is the classic example who could take all the risks and come up with Apple from his garage. It was at great risk; however, the application of the willingness to take risks and push boundaries enhanced innovations that led to groundbreaking changes in the face of the tech industry. These examples demonstrate that risk-taking skills, combined with resilience and determination, can result in astounding growth and success.

Conclusion

Taking risks is essential to the growth and evolution of a person. Irrespective of whether one is developing their confidence, strength, creativity, or the ability to be more flexible, a risk will always deliver priceless experiences for forming who they are. The only reason why risk-taking is terrifying is because each risk calls for the possibility of failure on some level. With calculated risks, challenges faced, and errors learned from, one unlocks life to full potential, leading towards fulfilment and riches. Summing it up with the words of psychologist Abraham Maslow, “In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety” (Maslow, 1962). All this implies that growth may require risk, but the journey in it brings freedom and empowerment, alongside unlimited scope.