May Theme: Self-Reliance
This month at AR, we're exploring the risks and rewards of self reliance and being responsible for your own life. If you don't want to miss it, join our newsletter.
I made this flowchart some time ago, and I’ve been waiting for just the right moment to post it. With Monday’s monster essay on how to write your biography 40 years early, today feels like just the right time for something light and fun but completely applicable.
Feel free to share it with your friends, stick it on your refrigerator, or post it on your own site. Enjoy.
~~~~~
Professor of Riskology
I'm a writer, adventurer, and risk taker on a quest to join the top 1% of the world. I love helping people do scary things that improve their lives.
Learn more about my story.
You won't find any advertising here, but you will find some affiliate links to products I love. Thanks for reading and supporting my work.
Hey Tyler, having trouble understanding one part of the flow chart:
Could you die? No.
Could you lose all your money? It’s possible.
Do you actually need it? Yes.
Don’t do it!!!
If you “actually need it,” wouldn’t it make sense to “Go for it?” Maybe I’m missing something.
Not sure I follow you, Alan.
Alan,
It seems you may be equating the “it” in “Do you actually need it” to whatever risk you are considering and it seems that the “it” actually refers to the money you would lose by taking the risk… If you need that money “Don’t do it!!!”
Aha! That’s it. For some reason I wasn’t making the logical leap. Hasn’t had my morning coffee yet, ahem.
I love this, Tyler!
It’s being printed out and posted where I can see it and remember to ‘go for it’ when it doesn’t cost me my life (or money).
Great job creating this.
Karen
Glad you like it Karen! Hope it serves you well.
You left a “Will you be proud of it forever/will it be really awesome?” bubble out after “Could you die?”
Print it out and add that bubble to your own copy.
Brilliant! Really, nice work…
Absolutely great chart. I love it, very clear defines good risk decision making
Nice.
This is fab. It’s so easy to come up with a million ‘good’ reasons why you can’t possibly change anything in your life … and you DEFINITELY can’t change anything of any significance! It’s much easier just to moan! But you’re right – if you are REALLY strict with yourself so many of these ‘reasons’ become redundant.
I was talking to a coaching client about why she couldn’t quit her job and she said it was too risky not to have that income stream. I said “what would you do if one of your kids got really sick and you had to quit to look after them and that meant moving to a tiny apartment and having no money?” She said she’d do it in a heartbeat OBVIOUSLY! Then she said something really telling … “but that would be a GOOD reason to make the change. I’d HAVE to!” I asked whether her families long term happiness wasn’t a good enough reason then?” She said “hmmm” and went quiet. I took that as a good sign!
I’m going to send her this flowchart just to illustrate the point!
Thanks Tyler!
This was my Mother’s philosophy and she lived a rather fun and full life.
Well, I DID lose all of my money…now at 58 years old, I need to start over. Riskology is a great blog with tons of wonderful ideas and plans. Younger persons need to heed the advice and go for it. I need to think of something to help people my age begin again and not panic. It’s an awful feeling to lose everything!
[...] that this was her room and that she got to make the decisions. I would make suggestions, but the choices would be hers. Trusting this, Theresa wasn’t defensive. She saw us as collaborators, and relished the task [...]
Love the Fallback Plan section
[...] in decision forks? Then, this guide may be for [...]