We’re encouraged to take risks to get out of our comfort zone. If we don’t risk anything, we risk even more. There’s an expectation that taking a risk will reap a rewarding benefit.
But what happens when a risk doesn’t pull off the results we expect?
The Block Glasshouse is the perfect example of a risk not paying off. For the viewer it was a shock reminder that reality TV doesn’t have happy endings. For the contestants it was a kick to the stomach that sometimes hard work and sacrifice don’t bring in the same results for everyone.
Many would argue that that is life and how fickle the property market can be. But I still feel sad for Dee & Darren, Maxine & Karstan and Carlene & Michael. Three months of hard work and being away from their family for a small amount of money is gut wrenchingly sad. It wasn’t the ending I wanted for these three couples.
Yet they all took a risk to work on a show that has for the past two seasons seen impressive winnings from previous teams. I’m sure there was a high expectation to walk away with a large amount of money that would change their personal circumstances. Unfortunately the risk didn’t pay off.
So what do you do when a risk doesn’t fulfil or bring in the results you had originally wished to achieve?
Well firstly, from experience, be humble and be kind to yourself. Learn from what went wrong and don’t blame yourself if the outcome was controlled by outside forces. If the outcome was in your control, what could you do next time to avoid the same result?
The next step is to not blame anyone else. We all know what we’re getting into the moment we take a risk. Blaming someone else for our misfortune is immature and arrogant.
The last step is to not allow the results prevent us from taking another risk. We learn a lot from the the first failed attempt. Draw on that knowledge when taking another risk.
Property and design is always valued in the eye of the beholder. Maybe the reserves were too high, maybe the real estate agents and auctioneers didn’t do a good job in getting buyers to the auction. What I do know is that all of those couples walked away learning that there is no easy way to make a dollar in property and that renovating is hard work.
The outcome should never be the reason why we take a risk. Our motivation should be for change and to answer that lingering question ‘what if?’
When was the last time you took a risk? How did it go? Were you shocked by The Block results on Sunday night?
I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
