How to Balance the Risks and the Rewards Involved in Making Your Dreams a Reality

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How to Balance the Risks and the Rewards Involved in Making Your Dreams a Reality

One of my favourite quotes of all time is:

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions” (Albert Einstein)

Quotes like this are great motivation because they not only make our dreams seem tangible, they speak directly to the potential positive rewards of manifesting them. But if this is the case, why do some people tend to shy away from making their dreams a reality?

I believe that the number one answer to this question is that, more often than not, our dreams don’t just come with rewards. They come with risks too. The potential risks, however, are usually what stops people in their tracks- they’re so paralysed by the fear that their worst case scenario could happen that they get completely turned off from the possibility of their best case scenario.

I know that is something that has definitely affected me throughout life at every major transition. In recent years, as I’ve continued to push myself as a writer and blogger, these instances have occurred more and more often. For example, my personal mission is to empower Christian women by promoting the contributions of strong women of faith (both past and present). However, when I began interviewing women for content (before my launching my site) I feared that no-one outside of my family and friends would respond. Yet, I beat my original goal of curating 90 interviews with women literally from around the world! I then became afraid that no-one would be interested in what I had to say once I did launch; yet my blog’s readership is ever-increasing and here you are engaging with me!

I give you my example to let you know that you’re not alone if you’ve ever felt scared to go towards your goals and dreams. However, I am also here to tell you that it’s possible to feel the fear and do it anyway. I’m going to share how I do it through a concept that I like to call “balancing the risk and the reward”.

Step #1: Weigh it all up

Consider the pros and cons of taking a particular decision. If you don’t know them all, research so that you are fully informed of the best and worst case scenario before you act. For example, the thriving business that you want may require you to invest. The risk here is that money could be lost but the financial rewards of doing so could be exceedingly; abundantly above even what was seen in your mind’s eye.

Step #2: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

You’ve probably gathered by now that I am a “hope for the best; prepare for the worst” kind of girl. This means that when I am evaluating the potential risks and rewards of my endeavours through research, I will also look into alternative routes. This helps me to come up with back up plans and/or safety nets in case the worst does happen.

Step #3: Seek counsel

Libra that I am, sometimes steps 1-3 are still not enough to help me come to a decision. I can get stuck inside my own head going around and around in circles as I deliberate all the risks, rewards and alternative routes I discovered. This is where seeking counsel comes in for me. Aside from praying, I like to ask advice from people who tick one or more of the following boxes. They:

Have my best interests at heart and are trustworthy (helping me to avoid being pushed into fulfilling somebody else’s agenda)
Are attuned to my purpose, vision and who I am as a person (so that they can provide tailored advice)
Are a peer working towards the same goal as me or someone who has already successfully done what I want to do (because masterminds and mentors are priceless, especially for navigating goals that fall outside of the status quo)

Step #4: Ask yourself if the potential rewards outweigh the risks

In other words, is the potential win worth the gamble in your particular situation? Will you be able to live with yourself and the consequences in the worst case scenario? For me, not being able to cope with the worst case scenario (whether that’s financially, emotionally, physically or mentally) is a deal breaker.

Step #5: Plan your work and work your plan

Once I have decided that the rewards outweigh the risks, I either come up with a plan of action (myself), follow the counsel I was given or invest in programmes that will show me how to gain them. Then, I like to add actions to my faith by implementing the plan!

Now it’s your turn, lovely! As scary as it can be, your breakthrough lies on the over side of risk. There’s just no getting around that! But, when you weigh it up, will the reward be greater than any risk involved? Is there any way that you can lower the risk by giving yourself a safety net of some sort? Who can you collaborate with to ensure the success of your endeavours? I know you see great things for yourself so use these steps to balance the risks and the rewards involved in making your dreams a reality.