Are you someone who shies away from taking risks? Do you often play it safe, afraid to step outside your comfort zone? While it’s natural to want to avoid uncertainty, it’s important to understand that taking calculated risks is needed if you want to be your own best advocate. This might look like asking for a raise, telling your friends or family “no” when needed, or even starting a business. 

While it may be scary to put yourself out there, here are seven reasons why taking risks leads to greater success when advocating for yourself:

It Shows Confidence

When you take a risk, you demonstrate to yourself and others that you have confidence in yourself and your abilities. This allows you to become a more effective advocate for yourself. It shows that you are determined and willing to take the necessary steps to make things work out in your favor.

It Fosters Growth

Taking risks aids in learning and growth. When you challenge yourself, you gain new insights and skills that support your life, self-advocacy efforts, and success.

It Proves Resilience

Taking risks means you’re willing to face failure and setbacks. But each time you fail, you build resilience and are better equipped to handle future challenges.

It Opens Doors

When you take risks, you put yourself in new and unfamiliar situations that lead to new opportunities and connections. You never know what you might learn from it.

It Inspires Others

When you take risks and succeed, you inspire others to do the same. Your courage motivates and empowers others to advocate for themselves. Not only that, it further inspires you when you see that your calculated risks are usually not that risky after all since they are, in fact, calculated. 

It Increases Self-Awareness

Taking risks requires reflecting on your values, priorities, and goals. This self-awareness brings confidence to your voice, allowing you to better articulate your needs and desires.

It Unlocks Important Knowledge and Experiences

Risk-taking requires a certain amount of courage. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, you can still take away knowledge that will help you make wiser decisions in the future and inspire you to take more risks.

Deciding which risks are worth taking for your particular goals and values is imperative. If your aim is to become a published author, you might take a chance by sending your work to a literary agent or publisher. If you’re focused on speaking up more in meetings, preparing and rehearsing what you want to say will give you the courage to take a risk. When you carefully pick risks that match your goals and values, it can help bring you closer to being true to yourself and following your beliefs.