Many women simply don’t risk enough. Why? Risk is scary. And in truth, risk taking is about learning to tolerate anxiety. It is stressful to risk. Things might not work out. Being able to risk really means being able to deal with the possibility of defeat, and a lot of women tend to interpret defeat as rejection. Rejection always feels more personal than simple defeat.

Game-playing, which boys tend to engage in far more than girls, teaches kids that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. If boys interpreted all “losses” as “rejections,” their game playing careers would be short-lived! I hope that as more and more girls play sports, this will translate into their future business skills. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It is not about rejection.

Many women simply haven’t had enough practice risking. Men tend to engage in risk-taking activities from a very young age. And while this may drive their mothers crazy, they are developing their risk muscles and learning to tolerate the anxiety that comes from risking, at a very young age.

Good Girls have an especially hard time risking. If they risk, they might upset the boat. Better to keep things the way they are. Don’t ruffle anyone’s feathers.
Unfortunately, without risking, it is hard to reach your full income potential. It is a risk to raise your rates. It’s a risk to offer a new service. It’s a risk to define a niche.

What about you? What risks have you taken that resulted in more money? And how have you dealt with the anxiety that comes from risking?