You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don't Take

Written by Terina Allen - CEO | ARVis Institute | Management Consultant | Educator | Author | International Speaker - États-Unis - Leadership, culture, and strategy -

What is courage? Courage is what we demonstrate when we are afraid or unsure about something we know we want or need; yet, despite fear, we go for it anyway. So as you read this, think about all the things you know you want to do; all the things you need to do for yourself and your career, and then take the shot.

Don't sit by and let another year come and go without taking your shots.

I continue to be amazed and inspired by the sheer determination, courage and discipline that it takes to be an effective leader and to remain dedicated to accomplishing one's goals and dreams in life. I am impressed by those who try new things and those who accomplish goals and climb new heights despite their own personal or professional struggles, challenges, circumstances and fears.

If you want to take your career to the next level, be a leader; take the shot. Here's why:

1. The benefit usually outweighs the risk.

If you take the shot and make it, you feel a huge sense of accomplishment. If you miss, you have the joy of knowing you at least tried. Believe me, people have all sorts of ideas, plans and dreams but will allow their fear of failure – or their fear of success - to stop them from even trying. It may have something to do with worrying about what other people will think or it may have to do with a lack of confidence.

Either way, taking the shot is a far better choice than not. You actually have the hope of changing your circumstances and moving yourself from point A to point B. Don’t take the shot and you are destined to stay right where you are for the rest of your life. Take the shot.

2. Even if you miss, you won’t live with regret.

From my conversations with thousands of people, I find that it isn’t the failures or mistakes that get people down for the long haul. No. It is the shot and chance they never even took that creates the most lasting damage – all the things they never even tried to do.

When it is all said and done, you don’t want to be the one sitting there thinking about all the shots you never even took in life – all the opportunities you weren’t open to. Regret is a hard thing to live with. It is harder than failure.

So I say, “be disciplined; be open to change.” Take the shot.

3. You learn what you are made of.

Taking the shot builds confidence, and the more shots you take and miss, the more powerful you become because you just stop being afraid of failure. You become free of fear (fear keeps people in bondage) and learn that you actually can and do just go on. You become more courageous, more determined, more committed – and you learn how to get it right or whether or not you should do something different.

Success breeds success. Trying breeds success. And failure – yes failure – breeds success (when you try something and then learn from it). You can make choices from facts and effort instead of something you never experienced.

And boy, when you take that shot and actually make it, there is just no better feeling than that! I have taken so many shots in my life. I have actually missed most of them (just like Michael Jordan says), but when I make the shot – WOW! Nothing feels so good as matching hard effort, sweat and tears with the desired outcome. It is an amazing feeling and experience indeed, and it builds confidence! However, you only get to know that joy if you actually take the shot.

4. You become an inspiration to others.

We all want to be around other people who are doing great things and going places. We want to learn, to grow and to be challenged and excited by the possibility of a better tomorrow. Think about how you feel when you are engaged in dialogue with someone who is excited about a future prospect, sharing his/her goals and dreams with you or starting a new project, a new job, a new family.

Now think about talking with that person after he/she has turned that prospect into reality and/or accomplished the goals and dreams! These are the wonderful moments in life. I love to share in the joy of other people’s moments and discuss their successes and accomplishments. I become so inspired by focused and driven people, and I find that it serves as a driver to get me moving, disciplined and focused on my goals. The courage you show when you take the shot, will inspire others.

5. You become a great leader.

Do you want to become the thought leader, the expert or the team leader?

Leadership takes courage; leaders demonstrate courage. You can’t be an effective leader if you won’t take the shot. Leadership is about making difficult and, many times, unpopular decisions. It is about forging a path where there is none. It is about elevating and inspiring others to new heights because you aren’t afraid to take that journey yourself.

If you are too afraid or uncomfortable with risk, you aren’t taking the shot. Leaders play to win; they don’t sit there hoping not to lose. Leaders make things happen and create environments for themselves, their teams and their organizations to grow. Doing this involves calculating which shots to take and then taking them – many different shots – at different times and having the courage to fail.

Leaders don’t leave anything on the table. They calculate the risk and when they go for it, they put it all in and go for the WIN! That’s’ why we call them leaders, and that is why we all want to be like them and are willing to follow them. Take the shot.

Terina Allen - Management Consultant | Educator | Author | International Speaker

CEO | ARVis Institute

www.arvisinstitute.com