Take the Hill: Accept the Risk

You can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks – Esme Bianco

Life Comes with Risk

In project management, every assumption is a potential risk. Identifying and mitigating risks is a crucial component of project success. Risk avoidance, in project management and life, is attractive but unrealistic. Any goal worth achieving in life comes with significant risk. Avoiding risk equates to remaining stagnant in life, accepting the challenge to take the hill, and doing the difficult things that are worthwhile, which invites risk. By definition, risk is the possibility of something negative happening. The modern urge to climb Mount Everest began once explorers discovered it was the world’s tallest peak. Many people have attempted the climb at significant risk and expense, some with fatal results. The risk has continued the urge for the summit. Failure by others should not deter you from taking the hill. Leadership expert Dr. John C. Maxwell says, “We can never reach our full potential without taking risks.” Risk requires that we step out of our comfort zone. Maxwell illustrates that to get the ripest and juiciest fruit, we must get out on the limb and not remain in the shade. To do this, we must first accept the risk. Accepting risk is not just a choice but a fundamental requirement for personal and professional growth. It’s a commitment to ourselves and our potential. 

Accepting risk is not just a choice but a fundamental requirement for personal and professional growth.

Accept the Risk

To maximize our potential and stop living at the bare minimum, we must accept the inevitable risks as we take the hill. No reward is reaped without risk, and risk avoidance keeps us at the base of the mountain, in the comfort of what we are accustomed to. Accepting the risk does not mean being reckless; instead, it reflects a path of thought that is aware of the risks, weighs them, and determines what is on the other side of the risk is worth it. It’s about strategic thinking and calculated moves, not blind leaps. I’ve learned that the risks are not overwhelming when I break down larger goals into small, manageable ones. 

Don’t allow risks and the fear of failure that comes with it to restrict you to a camper instead of a climber. You automatically become a climber when you choose to accept the risk that comes with reaching your goals. Risks and potential for failure are never the sole measuring stick for whether a goal is worth pursuing. Instead, envision the potential for growth and the sweet rewards that await on the other side of the risk. Seek the value and purpose while accepting the risk, and you’ll find yourself on a path of continuous growth and fulfillment. 

Seek the value and purpose while accepting the risk, and you’ll find yourself on a path of continuous growth and fulfillment. 

Take the Challenge

In the fictional blockbuster film Black Panther, King T’Chaka’s death and his son T’Challa’s inauguration as the new king come with an offer to anyone who wants to challenge the throne of Wakanda. Accepting the challenge meant fighting to submission or death. Your mountain is waiting. The path to the top requires climbing. Will you take the challenge to go uphill and get to the top of your mountain? Are you willing to die to the camper’s mentality and submit to a climber mentality by choosing to do the hard things despite the risks? 

Final Thought: Risks are inevitable. Avoiding them stagnates your growth. Accepting them and taking the hill anyway will maximize your potential. Do you want to be a camper, where there is zero risk and zero reward, or a climber, where the risks are more significant but the sweetest and juiciest rewards are found? Take the hill!

Keep on Keeping on