A few days ago, I introduced the idea of being “Competently Courageous” (from James Detert’s research on risk-taking). This means that you can learn skills that help you take more frequent and more effective risks on your path to living and leading courageously.
Another tool you can add to your risk-taking toolbox is to develop plans for what you’ll do if things don’t go as you planned, or they go badly.
Who can you turn to for support and counsel?
What do you need to do to mitigate any fallout or damage?
What relationships might you need to repair?
How will you keep yourself safe?
How will you take care of yourself?
How will you reflect and learn from the situation?
A risk is a risk because the outcome is uncertain. If you’re taking risks, they won’t all go great. Going into a risk with a fallback plan allows you to have more confidence going in, and it allows you to know what to do quickly and intelligently if things don’t go well.