In case you have not noticed the world is changing. People who know this stuff say our brains have not changed as much as our surroundings. Our brains are hardwired to keep us safe. It is called “negativity bias” which means we focus on the potential pain more than the potential good. This is why change is scary.
These legacy fears are the result of millions of years of our ancestors being prey, not predators. Giant hyenas, cave bears, cave lions, eagles, snakes, other primates, wolves, saber-toothed cats, false saber-toothed cats, and maybe even giant, predatory kangaroos ate early humans. But in our knowledge-based world, the potential pain we expect (a tough meeting with the boss) won’t kill us– but we feel the same fear and pain as our primal ancestors did when they heard the saber-toothed cat roar.
And so we run the other way. At work, we miss more potential good because we’re hard-wired to avoid potential bad. Taking specific, intentional career risks helps us overcome our ancient hard wiring.
In fact, avoiding risk is one of the most dangerous things you do for your career long term. After all, if you’re not being proactive about creating success on your terms–whatever and however that looks to you–no one is going to do it for you.
This infographic from Go Jump Las Vegas lists some of the positive influences that risk-taking has on our overall well-being. Step out of your comfort zone and start seizing amazing opportunities.
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Think about your fears as the right response at the wrong time. The fear worked 50,000 years ago. It’s simply out of date. You’re using outdated software in your brain.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.