12 traits and characteristics of bold risk-takers (is this you?)

Being too cautious and waiting for the “perfect” moment won’t get you anywhere.

While patience is a virtue, you understand that your dreams won’t simply land on your lap out of nowhere.

Life doesn’t work that way. It’s a game. To win, you know you’ve got to play.

While others may be more risk-averse, you’re willing to hop on a new investment opportunity or choose an uncommon career path.

You follow what your heart wants because you can’t stand the thought of letting life pass you by.

It means that you truly are a risk-taker.

Check out these 12 more ways to tell that you’ve got the spirit of adventure inside of you.

1. You’re Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

It is said that growth happens outside of the comfort zone.

Challenges and difficulties are, no doubt, a struggle. But that’s what they’re supposed to be.

Swords cannot be made without the blacksmith’s hammer striking it.

Expecting that life is going to be easy will only lead to endless disappointment.

While playing it safe can feel like somewhat of a relief, it feels wrong to you.

You feel like there’s an energy reserve that you aren’t tapping into.

When you’re doing something that you’ve never done before, that’s when it finally kicks in, and that’s when you get to grow as a person, and see who you truly are.

2. You’re Up For A Gamble

There’s a simple rule in investing. The lower you invest, the lower your returns. But the higher you invest, the higher your returns.

The difference between the two is a matter of having a large enough risk appetite (and, of course, how much you have).

If people could earn a good amount of money on low investment, then the law of supply and demand would balance everything out.

Risk takers are willing to play when the stakes are high. They know that what they could potentially earn from their investments could change their lives.

No matter how much you lose, you know that there’s something that no one can ever take: your mind and will to push forward.

You’ll always find a way to get back your earnings, so you’re always up for a gamble.

3. You’re Used To Getting In Trouble

There’s a reason why people want to play it safe: they don’t want to get called to the office. But when an opportunity presents itself, sometimes you just need to go for it.

You aren’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers if it means getting what you want.

There is, of course, a difference between deviating from a set of protocols and taking advantage of other people.

You can get what you want without having to step on anyone’s toes. You find the loopholes in the rules and you take advantage of it.

4. You’re A Person Of Action

You can’t think your way to success. When all the goals are set and plans are in place, there’s only one thing left to do: go for it.

There are people that, when an opportunity presents itself, shrink in self-doubt. It paralyzes them, and they’re left to watch the opportunity sail by.

They grow old, forever regretting the life that they could’ve lived if they had only taken that leap. There is always going to be fear, it’s all a matter of facing it and acting despite it.

Sometimes, doing nothing and playing it safe could be the riskiest course of action.

It’s a path towards unfulfillment that you intend to avoid at all costs.

5. You Know What You Want

Knowing what you want is the first step in taking action. It gives direction and motivation.

The problem is that most people don’t know what they want in life.

They spend all their years wondering and considering, and they spend too little actually doing.

Without understanding what you want, the risks will be a waste of valuable resources.

Since you know what you want in life — what you want to become and where you want to be — you’re able to see the bigger picture.

Even if you have a good idea where your life is going, we’re all searching for the right path to get there.

And whether you want true love, happiness, or self-empowerment, getting help is a smart thing to do.

I recently sought guidance from a spiritual advisor to get the clarity I needed. I was blown away by how caring, compassionate and helpful she was.

If you want a powerful insight into the path your walking in life, click on this link now.

6. You Trust Your Gut

When we’re faced with a large decision in our lives — buying a house, changing career, migrating to another country, pursuing a different area of study — our guts always voices its opinion, whether we like it or not.

Often, our gut and intuition know far more than our rational minds.

Our intuition comes from the deepest part of our identity. It isn’t rational, but the feeling can be so overwhelming that it’s a considerable option.

As a risk-taker, you know that your gut knows what’s ultimately best for you. It can sometimes be difficult to follow it, however.

Other people might voice their opinions too. Intuition usually provides the craziest option of all — but it’s also usually the best one for ourselves when we look back at our lives.

7. You’re Naturally Curious

Sometimes there’s really only one way to see if something is going to work: you’ve got to test it out.

While curiosity comes naturally to all of us, you’re one that’s willing to act on it. You pursue your questions in search of an answer.

Asking questions, while innocent, could be risky.

Think of an investigative journalist doing research on a shady politician. The path that their curiosity leads them to places that could put their entire lives in danger.

But they need to take those risks to uncover the truth that they value above all things. They feel they have a duty to the people to tell the truth about their leader.

You’re comfortable letting your curiosity in life lead you to unexpected places if it means finding closure in an answer.

8. You Can Brush Off Failures

It’s said that, in his attempt to create the lightbulb, Thomas Edison failed about 10,000 times. His response to that? “I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

It’s inherent in every risk that failure is a likely outcome. Failures can discourage us from pursuing our dreams if we’re not careful about them.

If we view it as something devastating, then it will be devastating.

But you view it as an opportunity to be better, to improve on your ideas to make it more resilient the next time around, then that can lead you closer to your goals than following the rules ever could.

9. You Won’t Settle For The Way Things Are

It’s an unwritten rule not to meddle with the status quo. People don’t want to shake up the system too much or else they’ll be outcasted.

But the core idea of innovation is about disrupting the status quo.

Having the audacity to innovate takes a risky spirit — one that you have.

You identify with what Steve Jobs once said, “It’s those that are crazy enough to change the world, are the ones that do.”

You’re willing to do what others are afraid to do in search of a better way to solve your problems.

10. You’re Decisive

Making decisions can be difficult. It means having to commit to our own choices, and we have to take responsibility for it if it doesn’t turn out the way that we hoped it would.

Too many people make decisions and then let self-doubt and regret creep in and ruin their choices. But not you.

When you’ve made your choice, you stick by it.

Sure, you may complain and rant about it if it didn’t turn out to be the best choice, but you understand that this was the cost of taking the risk.

So you honor your decision and learn from it, instead of wallow in anger.

11. You’re Passionate

If you weren’t passionate about something, then you wouldn’t be willing to take risks.

Taking risks doesn’t make sense to someone that’s only going to work for a job, not for a career.

Only the people driven by their love of what they do are willing to sacrifice and run the greatest risks.

When you play it safe, it means that you’ve become too attached to what you have.

There’s a lack of separation between work and personal identity, which could jeopardize the work that needs to be done.

While you love what you do, you also understand that it isn’t your entire life. That’s why you’re so willing to take on so much risk.

12. You’re Confident In Yourself

The underlying belief that risk-takers have is that, no matter what happens, they’ll come out of it in one piece.

Taking risks is an integral part of life.

While at first you may have felt unsure about it, after overcoming risk after risk, you’ll have developed a tougher skin for this sort of thing.

As a risk-taker, you can’t imagine any other way to live your life.

You’re willing to take on the task of following your heart and pursuing your passion, even if it leads to heartbreak and pain.

You’re smart about the risks that you take because you know what you can and can’t handle.

That’s what makes you stand out from the rest, and what increases your likelihood for success.

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Lachlan Brown

I’m Lachlan Brown, the founder, and editor of Hack Spirit. I love writing practical articles that help others live a mindful and better life. I have a graduate degree in Psychology and I’ve spent the last 15 years reading and studying all I can about human psychology and practical ways to hack our mindsets. Check out my latest book on the Hidden Secrets of Buddhism and How it Saved My Life. If you want to get in touch with me, hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

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