Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 7:03AM | Amy C Taking Risks: What to Know Before You Jump
taking risks: me contemplating the exposureHave you ever wondered why some days you love taking risks and pushing your boundaries while other days just stepping outside can feel like the biggest risk you’re up for?
Why is it easier to take risks some days and not others?
balancing risk and energy
We each have a varying threshold for taking risks that’s unique to us. Whether we’re willing to take a risk or not is dictated by a combination of factors. Some days it actually has little to do with the risk itself and a lot to do with where our threshold is on that particular day.
So what are the “taking risks” criteria for determining our threshold? I’ve identified four(some are obvious, others not so much):
- Your base comfort level
- The conditions of the environment
- Your energy level at the moment
- Your current reservoir of strength
Let’s break down these factors for taking risks into more detail.
your base comfort level
leading a route at Smith RockWhat I mean by your base comfort level, is your baseline. How comfortable are you on average with this particular activity?
A beginning surfer is going to have a different baseline than a professional surfer. How well you swim, the size and power of the waves, and temperature of the water are all factors that go into your baseline.
Your climbing partner might shy away from highly exposed approaches while you don’t think twice about them.
Of course, your baseline will shift over time, but in general, ask yourself the question, where is the line where you begin to feel a little squeamish?
Knowing your baseline with each activity will help you know where you want to start pushing.
the conditions of the environment
Environmental conditions include things like weather, length of time you’re out, the time of year and the time of day you’re engaging in the activity.
Hiking to a summit on a sunny day is different than hiking that same summit during a snowstorm. Arriving at a climbing crag at 10:00am will present different considerations than arriving at 3:00pm (did you bring your headlamp?).
Your environment also includes the people you’re with. How well do you know and trust them? What are the group dynamics? How comfortable are you with these dynamics?
For example, if the group is highly competitive and you’re not, your threshold for risk will probably shift. Feeling pressured to do something you’re not comfortable with can lead to resistance.
On the flip side, feeling safe and supported within a group can boost your level of confidence and provide a great space to test your limits.
your energy level at the moment
Did you get enough sleep the night before? Are you working hard to keep up with the group (thus lessening the amount of energy you have for the risk-taking)? Are you feeling stressed or in a funk?
Or maybe you’re feeling invigorated and energized, ready to take on a new challenge.
It’s no surprise that we’re more ready and able to take risks when we’re feeling alert and good, so assess your energy levels that day.
your current reservoir of strength
my tribe supporting me as I creep across the sketchy rockYour reservoir of strength ties into your current energy level, but takes into account what’s going on in your life outside of the particular activity.
A big move or career change can shift your threshold, as can a new relationship (or the ending of one). Have you been sick? Taking care of kids (or aging parents)? Have a big project going on at work?
When we’re expending a lot of energy elsewhere, it can be difficult to muster up the necessary courage to test a new personal boundary elsewhere. Some days are better for taking risks than others.
It’s important to realize that everything we do has an effect of everything else. That might seem obvious, but it’s surprising how often this factor is overlooked.
the importance of taking risks
Risk is essential. There is no growth or inspiration in staying within what is safe and comfortable. -Alex Noble
Taking risks is something we all need to do. It pushes us. It’s helps us grow and evolve—not just in our respective sports, but in our lives.
Taking risks allows us to find our boundaries and redefine our limits of possibilities.
And in order to take the kind of risks that encourage us to take more, we need to give ourselves the best possible opportunity and environment in which to push ourselves.
What about you? Do these factors resonate? Are there others you pay attention to when you’re engaging in a new or challenging activity? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below and continue the discussion of risk.
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Reader Comments (4)
I like how you break this down. Whenever I feel less willing to jump right in there, I invariably start asking myself what's wrong with me. I might even go into serious self-reflection, looking for chinks in my armor, searching for some explanation. But I always come up flat. Instead of looking for one of your easy reasons, I look too deep, running my mental fingers over my psyche, looking for tragic flaws and irreparable damage. Thanks for reminding me that usually it's environment (either outside or my physical state) and not some long-lost fear that I had thought I'd outrun but that really found me anyway.
Kim,
Beautifully stated - Boy, I can definitely relate to your thought process! It's often easier to look inward and assume it's something we're doing or not doing, when more often than not, it's a natural fluctuation of energy. :) Glad to hear the post helped.
Nice piece - I particularly like the "where is the line where you begin to feel a little squeamish?". . . I've been thinking about this and how it changes as I think about my children. I have a threshold where I feel "squeamish" about my children doing things and I wonder how that will change as they grow up. I look at Eric Horst and his pre teen boys (climbing 5.13) on sport lead and I wonder if I could watch my own child do that. My own limits are different than the limits I have for my children (because they are 2 and 4) but how will my limits for them change as they grow? I think that I might write on this from the "parent" perspective :) Thoughts???
I find that I often do the same thing; questioning what's wrong with me when I back away from risks. I like the idea of looking at the situation a little more objectively and seeing that it's product of many different factors. I have found that my enthusiasm for different activities has peaks and valleys which in turn influences my risk tolerance.