Adjusting Your Risk-o-Meter

Hi read,

This weekend I was talking with my daughter about fear. She's a smart kid, and her brain is constantly assessing risk. My brain works a lot like that so I know how it feels. We named it the Risk-o-Meter, which can range from "This is fine" to "RED ALERT!!! STOP NOW!!!". Sometimes the Risk-o-Meter reading is right and sometimes it's not.

For her, the key to changing her risk perception is to take small steps toward a goal. In this case, we were riding downhill mountain bike trails here in Colorado. They're green trails, so they are well within her skillset. Still, she would get super nervous about a wooden ramp on this trail.

At first, I found myself getting frustrated. She had ridden this wooden feature before and we both knew she could do it. Yet she was still afraid.

How did she get past this fear? First, we talked about the fact that she had done this wooden ramp before and her risk-o-meter reading was actually wrong. It was telling her she couldn't do it when we knew she could! Then we came up with a slogan for her to say as she was going down the ramp. I suggested "You can do it! You can do it!" but she decided on "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic..." IT WORKED!! She totally made it down that darn ramp.

For many of us, there is a part of our brain that will always be thinking about what could go wrong. And that can keep us from accomplishing things big and small. You might not consider taking a new job because you're afraid you won't be up to learning a new role. You might say no to a speaking engagement opportunity because you're terrified of standing up in front of a large crowd. Or you might say "hell no" when your kid asks you to take climbing lessons with them because you are petrified of heights.

But I think that's doing yourself a disservice. Part of life is saying "yes" to new things, even when they're scary. So if you find yourself making decisions because of fear, how can you overcome that fear?

For my well tuned risk-o-meter, encouraging slogans just don't cut it.

Instead, you have to train your brain to accept more risk. This starts by taking little steps.

Let's take the example of considering a new job. Remember, you don't have to start a new job tomorrow. Instead, you can take many small steps toward this goal. Here is an example of what those small steps might look like.

1) Update your resume

2) List yourself as "open to work" on LinkedIn

3) Take a call with any recruiter who reaches out

4) Talk to people you know who have changed jobs recently. Ask for their advice.

5) Think about how you might approach learning about a new company or role. Read some books and map out a plan for yourself.

So often, as we get older, we like to sit in our comfort zones instead of learning new things. This year, I'm trying to push my own boundaries and really challenge myself to keep growing. I hope you will too!

Will you share your big, scary goal with me? What small steps can you take toward that goal?

I would love to hear from you!

Best,

Beth

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