Planning Risks

Recently I read two articles which have given me a unique insight into two different things but essentially they point to the same ability. I'll just quote a portion from them one by one and in-between add my own thoughts.

1. http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/07/why-you-need-to-fail.html In this blog at www.harvardbusiness.org the author, Peter Bregman talks about having a growth mindset. He says "If you have a growth mindset, then you use your failures to improve. If you have a fixed mindset, you may never fail, but neither do you learn or grow. "

He adds further, "A growth mindset is the secret to maximizing potential".

The "growth mindset" is the ability to take risks and if that risk ends in a failure learn from it. He talks about settings goals that will enhance your performance. These goals at first sight don't look easily achievable. To someone else your goals may even look foolhardy. But a reason behind setting these goals is pushing your own limits. We all have built a comfort zone around us beyond which we rarely venture. We are happy to live inside it and consider the outside world as unsafe. But unless we venture out how can we decide about it. There is a possibility that we may fail and that too miserably. But we would have experienced something different and learned some valuable lessons too.

To quote the author again "Set high goals where you have a 50-70% chance of success". But why would I do that? The answer is simple goals are like milestones which you set for yourself. Every milestone you pass on you've discovered something new. Every mile you travel you're farther from your home and chances of returning back to the same stage have been slightly reduced. Setting high goals helps you to keep yourself motivated during your daily life. If you've something to look up to you always have a sense of urgency and excitement. This feeling can bring a lot of difference to your life.

I would like to thank Mr. Bregman for this marvelous insight and permitting me to use a portion of his article.

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/business/06corner.html This is an excerpt from an interview with Mr. Alan Mulally, president and chief executive for Ford Motors. He says something very interesting and I quote :

(quote) Q. What’s your best career advice?

A. Don’t manage your career. Follow your dream and contribute. Think about just exceeding expectations of every job you’re being asked to do. Continually ask for feedback on how it’s going. Ask everybody involved what you can do to do an even better job, and the world will beat down your door trying to ask you to do more and more.

I’ve never laid out a career. I never said I wanted to do this job and this job and this job, and frankly, I’d propose that you really don’t know what a job is until you’re in it. The most important thing is that you are open to really understanding what is expected, and also where you can make the biggest contribution. The more humble you become, and the more honored you are to serve, it allows you to really understand what you can do to make a bigger contribution. (end of quote)

Again the emotion is the same the desire to take risks. Dreams are uncharted territories which we have only heard about and desire. But it would take personal strength and confidence in God to turn these dreams into tangible achievements. So dream on!