Was Swerving My Career Into The Digital World A Risk?

Was Swerving My Career Into The Digital World A Risk?

Risk. What is even a risk? In the current world we live in it is no surprise that the word 'risk' is associated with something negative. With the population growing faster in a millennial generation, too many have thrusted themselves into a life where they just expect too much; a high paid salary in their twenties, have a 'directorship' or 'management' title, even growing an additional endeavor is expected to become successful overnight.

When it comes to money and life in general many people play it safe 'don't take risks' they say. But this very attitude is like saying 'I cannot afford it, so that's that'. Instantly we are shutting down our brains to the opportunities that come from 'I cannot afford it, so how can I afford it'. To put this analogy into practice, I came up with my very own definition for 'risk' and then applied it back into my own life. Don't take risks? I say understand what risk is and learn how to manage it with patience.

'R' stands for reaching beyond your comfort zone. It is so easy to get comfortable in your day to day life and I often hear many people complain about many things; I hate my job, I can't do that, I have no money this month. But the real dilemma occurs when it comes to making decisions and putting them into action based on deciding how to improve your life. I once possessed the millennial mind of the 'high expectant'- 'when I graduate from my law degree I want to have a high paid job and to be treated like a superior'. I was 18 years old and the real truth was that I would know nothing at all. I was setting myself up for a big fall and a smashed self-image was inevitable.

It was only until my third year in running Eltoria did I have the biggest decision to make, do I quit my job and pursue Eltoria? Or do I play it safe and keep my job? Well here's the thing- jumping into the unknown is scary so I firstly took a three month sabbatical. In that time I saw a tremendous growth in Eltoria and I decided to quit my full time job to work on Eltoria, today I do not regret that decision.

'I' stands for improving and investing in your current state. If you only work for money, you are giving money to your employer and the tax man. However if money works for you, you can possess the power and you are fully in control of it. During the time I had a full time job I would use my salary to make small investments back into Eltoria, I started small; new blog designs, advertisements, products for content creation. It is important to understand that you are not gambling your money away if you know what you are doing with it. If you do make a slight bum investment always remember that failure inspires winners and failure defeats losers, take it as a learning curve.

'S' stands for social networking. My understanding is that you want to know a little about a lot and the best way to do this is through social interaction (and this doesn't just mean through Email, Facebook, Twitter etc). In today's market it's not about what you know, it's who you know. I often attend many events and participate in campaigns for free, why? Because it is the opportunity to get networking. It is surprising how taking someone out to coffee can lead into other exciting opportunities- I'd have to say that my most memorable coffee date was ending up working with Tinie Tempah on the McDonalds #HelloGoodTimesCampaign. Too many people end up not doing something because they are not getting paid for it, but sometimes the unpaid things can lead into bigger things.

'K' stands for knowledge. A lot of us fail to remember that our minds are our most powerful asset and when trained well, we can start to see opportunities. I can count on both hands the amount of people who thought I was crazy when I quit my well paid job for the digital world. Many people heckled that 'they just did not get it', but they were missing the very thing that I possessed, a well-trained mind that began to see opportunities. Teach yourself financial literacy and learn the industry you want to break, soon you will have the confidence to perceive things positively.

So if you haven't started to already in 2017, now's the time to apply the word 'risk' positively back into your life. Change may appear scary but it's often the best path to flourishment... and I can personally vouch for that.

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