Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: Risk Taking for Success

Introduction

In the contemporary world, one of the most discussed phenomena is whether taking risks is more important than making carefully planned decisions in professional life in order to achieve success, or vice versa. Human resources managers often pose questions to candidates that measure their inclination towards risk aversion. While some management scholars argue that accepting risks is beneficial for professionals to attain career success, it is a well-established truth that success does not solely rely on hard work. It also requires individuals to regularly reassess their agendas and, as the saying goes, 'get comfortable with being uncomfortable.' In this essay, I would like to discuss my stance on this topic.

Being Comfortable vs Taking Risks

In my opinion, making plans regularly is more advantageous than risk acceptance for professional success in terms of its dependence on reality rather than on probability, and the logic of the correlation between terror zone and comfort zone.  First of all, the opponents usually promote their point through accomplished cases. Nonetheless, the problem with this argument is their commitment to selection bias which is one of the most common failures made in the academic sphere. What is selection bias? It is a fault resorted by a writer while selecting parochial pieces of evidence for her argument, and this leads the hypothesis to position as null. The proponents of risk acceptance generally commit to the failure of selection bias because they exemplify their argument with successful instances, however, they neglect its disastrous effects in unsuccessful cases. Shortly, to see taking risks as more crucial to be accomplished is to prefer probability in contrast to reality.

Correlation Between Comfort Zone and Terror Zone

On the one hand, there is an exact way to pave the road to success. A zero-sum game, all-or-nothing gambling, in other words, success or devastation, exists on the other hand. A rational individual would naturally select the former option, namely reality rather than probability. Secondly, the risk-acceptant side of the debate corroborates their position by using the psychological concepts of terror zone and comfort zone. According to psychologists, the interception area of the terror zone and comfort zone is the mode in which human is the most productive. Nevertheless, they miss the core point that productivity originated from the effect of the comfort zone along with the force of the terror zone. That is why the act of taking a risk, which captures you in the terror zone cannot increase productivity.

On the other hand, feeling the stress of obligations will push you into the terror zone whereas planning assignments pull you into your comfort zone, consequently, you will remain in the position where you are the most productive. Who can be said that productivity leads to success?

Conclusion

In conclusion, the issue of “risk acceptance vs careful planning” is a hot debate in the professional world. In spite of the fact that some people say, “taking risks means you'll reach success easier as compared to making a careful plan”, the truth tells the opposite. The more to plan your life, the more success you get following productivity.

References

1. Smith, John. 'The Importance of Planning in Achieving Professional Success.' Journal of Business and Management, vol. 20, no. 2, 2018, pp. 45-60.