What Risks Will You Take To Achieve More?
Jacqueline Wales
Behavioral Consultant on Overcoming Fear: Unlocking Potential in SMB's | TEDx Speaker | Vistage Speaker | Homeward Bound Leadership Coach | Transformation Guaranteed Day One
Welcome to Fearlessly Speaking, a weekly newsletter where I share insights, learning and experience of moving beyond fear and uncertainty. Now is the time to truly Be Fearless: See Where It Gets You!
If you find it helpful, or interesting, I’d love to hear from you. LinkedIn loves comments and so do I!
If this is your first time reading my newsletter you can subscribe and?learn more about me here
?
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali
While standing on the platform at 181st Street in Manhattan waiting for the A train to take me downtown, I noticed someone had written on the grubby tile RISK.
It felt like a message from an unknown entity. I thought about that while boarding the train and realized I have lived my entire life with risk.
There's a long story here, but the short version is this.
I left school at 15, and left home in Scotland at age 16. I moved to London without a job, a place to stay, or friends who could help me out. Years later, I did the same when I moved to San Francisco aged 28 leaving my family behind. I continued taking big risks which have led me down some dark alleys and brilliant sunlit places to explore both the underbelly and the extraordinary aspects of life.
We all take risks in our lives. We risk taking the wrong job, getting married to the wrong person, saying the wrong thing, driving while under the influence, and a myriad of other daily, and life changing risks.
On the platform at 181st Street, I thought about RISK some more, and came up with an acronym...Respect Your Intentions and Show Kourage!
The last word is creative spelling, but you get my point. Setting your intentions and taking steps to achieve them is part of the adventure that allows for the courage to face the uncertainty.
When you think about your life... what risks have you taken in the past, and what risks are you taking today?
My latest BIG risk was to throw everything I had at rebuilding my business after COVID took away my income, and I had to figure out my 'what's next'!
Looking over the library of content I had amassed over seventeen years and delivered in various ways to achieve great results with my clients, I wanted to create an online program that would truly change lives.
Working with a super-smart instructional designer we created Transformational Strategies for Success, a program designed to accelerate change fast, and help people break through the barriers of self-limitation and self-sabotage.
I invested many thousands of dollars to turn things around with no guarantees that it would work. It was a massive risk but I set my intentions and brought all my courage to believe it would work.
In 2022 I had to admit bankruptcy which I had never done before, and while it was a hard pill to swallow, it opened up a whole new chapter for me.
Today, Transformational Strategies for Success is my signature program and I would say it has successfully fulfilled my goal of transforming lives.
Many people don't often ask for what they want. It feels like a massive risk of reputation, integrity and perception of weakness, and so we don't ask.
This is detrimental to forging new directions in your life. If you don't ask, you don't get.
Learning how to ask for what you want is one of the greatest hurdles women especially have to confront. They struggle with negotiating price for their services. They don't want to compromise relationships. They fear conflict and so they avoid, deflect, or stay silent.
This is the opposite of risk and where many dreams go to die.
Are you avoiding the necessary steps to realize your big dreams?
Does your perception of what's possible interfere with your ability to take bigger steps to achieve your goals?
What are your intentions for this coming year? Are you going to take bigger risks?
Consider this:
When you stretch your mind to imagine something greater than what you have currently, and you're willing to put it all out there to get the results you want, then you are playing for high stakes, and the risks are worth the rewards if you pull it off.
In the words of Jim Collins, author of Good To Great, "what's your big hairy audacious goals" for this coming year.
If you're ready to take more risks in life and you are unsure about the direction to take then talk with me. I'm a specialist in risk management!
EVENTS and PROGRAMS 2023
RETREAT:?An Exclusive Premiere Retreat April 1 - 5, 2025 California Wine Country.?A unique and exclusive small group experience for women leaders. Designed to challenge and nurture you to new levels of awareness. Transform the fear and uncertainty that interferes with your success, and develop the courage to take greater ownership and authority of your life and career.
TRANSFORMATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS:?A virtual and deeply immersive self-development program designed to help individuals broaden their understanding of who they are, what matter to them, where they want to go, and most importantly, what’s getting in the way of fulfilling greater potential.
COACHING PROGRAM:?A completely immersive transformational program to elevate and accelerate your career and life to the next level and beyond so you can ensure the future you want.
If you found this useful:
SHARE?with your network
LEAVE A COMMENT?(LinkedIn loves a good conversation)
FOLLOW OR CONNECT?(I love connecting to new people)
Real Estate Advisor - Business and Personal Development Consultant
2 年Loved our chat today and as always, I loved what you share here with all of us. You continue to amazed me at every turn you take in your life and I always leave our chats with a lesson I can utilized in my own life! Thank you for being such a FEARLESS WOMAN AND LEADER!!!
Dissolving blocks for $150k+ leaders, consultants & expert advisors with anxiety, loss and trauma. Elevate your income & impact with presence & peace of mind | Energy Psychotherapist | Soul Wisdom Guide
2 年Thanks for sharing your story Jacqueline and what giant leaps of faith you made when you were young and beyond. You asked some great questions I will ponder and journal about them as they are deserving of more thought and reflection. I am not "risk averse" as I am an entrepreneur and that always takes some level of risk, but I have often chosen comfort and security over risk for sure! Thanks for the article.
2X #1 Bestselling Author | Leadership Keynote Speaker | Award Winning Sales Leader | Serial Entrepreneur | Co-Founder, Former CEO Trustegrity | All American High School Athlete | CEO SBL Mastermind | Kellogg MBA
2 年Managing risk is a tricky business sometimes. Unless you push toward the unknown you will never know what you are capable of, but financial advisors recommend, never investing more than you are willing or can afford to lose. Risk outside of financial investment works in a similar fashion meaning, don't expect to throw a hail Mary every time you want to try something new and expect a touchdown. Trial and error on a smaller level work better for me.
Owner & Founder at Effortless LLC
2 年Love "specialist in risk management"! Looking back at all of the greatest accomplishments in my life, they all involved a great risk.
Executive and Team Coach: Working with Leaders and Teams to Develop New Levels of Insight and Leadership Capacity.
2 年I appreciate the courage to share your authentic journey. Making challenging transitions isn't easy, but they can be incredibly rewarding. What is missing for most people who want to move forward is a guide. You are providing that resource and a community. Good for you!