4 Reminders To Take More Risks 🎲

Life is supposed to be hard, but I think it’s become harder to see that these days.

The hard part is managing risk. It’s scary, especially when you’re young you don’t know any better. Most people will choose comfort and stability over risk and uncertainty any day, even if it means trading-off the possibility of growth and long-term happiness.

The word itself generally has a negative connotation.

But what if it was a positive?

What if we thought of risk as the beauty of standing at the edge of what’s possible, peering into the vast unknown out in front of you? What if we realized that youth brings with it a unique advantage in risk-taking – the ability to fail forward. What if risk wasn’t actually about the potential for reward at the end, but really about who you become in the process?

That’s how I’ve been trying to view it lately.

But sometimes it’s hard to remember. So I’ve been compiling a list of reminders to come back to and rewire my disposition. Here’s a few quick reminders of why risk and escaping the comfort zone can be beautiful:

1. Sam Altman: “Most People Don’t Take Enough Risk”

2. The Jeff Bezos ‘Regret Minimization Framework’

3. ChatGPT on Choosing Comfort Over Discipline

4. Roman Roy: Everything is Risk…

From the classic show Succession, I think of this one often:

Every risk you take expands your comfort zone, reshapes your understanding of what's possible, and builds an internal compass that will guide you through future uncertainties.

As young people, we have a secret weapon: we don't know what's impossible. Our inexperience, often seen as a liability, can be our greatest asset. We question industry assumptions that veterans take for granted.

Risk-taking in your early career is like compound interest for personal growth. The earlier you start, the greater the returns. Each risk builds upon the last, creating a foundation of confidence and capability that will serve you for decades to come.

Try to remember that.

Peace,

Ramsey