We all know by now that if we remain in our comfort zone, we stop growing and improving. But still, we prefer staying in our comfort zone because going out of it has risks associated with it. If I am comfortable living in a city and I see opportunities in another city, moving and going to live somewhere else is risky, as you never know what the future holds. If I stay put and do not move, as it is risky, I will not be able to take advantage of the benefits I would be able to enjoy.

No doubt, taking risks is hard, as there is lots of uncertainty, but taking risks is necessary too. Take the risk out of it by taking small steps, go visit the city, ask people around about their experience, find a job there before you move, etc. Stop wasting your time to build courage to take risks; instead, spend time to figure out ideas on how to reduce the cost of the risk. It’s far easier to take the risk when the cost of failure is very low. We do not need to be reckless while going out of our comfort zone. Put your energy into increasing the chances of success by taking small, incremental steps.

Other than taking small incremental risks, weigh in on all the positive and negative aspects of the risk before moving forward so that you can make an educated decision. Not all risks are worth taking. If I want to start a business, I should spend some time investigating the market. Will my product help the customers? What will be the impact on my life if I decide to start a business and quit my job? How much of my time will business will take and am I willing to be away from family for work? Note down all the negative and positive points before making any decisions.

Move past the fear of failure when taking a risk by understanding that 99% of the things we are worried about do not happen. Address the worry by taking small steps and evaluating the risk but do not let fear of failure stop you from taking the risk. Focus on:

• The positive outcome of taking the risk, instead of the negative outcomes,
• Why are you considering changing your current situation?

The fear of failure and the size of the risk seem to be directly correlated, but that is not the case every time. Balance your emotions with logic by answering these questions:

• What risk do I actually face?
• How can I handle it if it does not work out?

Taking calculated risks is the best way to build your mental strength. If you are scared of taking risks, remind yourself that it’s your brain going into flight mode and will not let you take any risks. Don’t listen to it, and you will become stronger mentally as you move toward taking risks. Taking risks builds your mantel muscle. If you fail, you will not lose, as you will learn from the failure. There is a win-win situation here.