Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Should You Be Taking More Risks in Your Life?

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

When the word “Risk” is mentioned in conversations, many people emotionally step back.

“I’ve never been one for danger” I was told just last week.

“I’m not much of a gambler” another said.

Why is the idea of risk so challenging?

Certainly, there are pros and cons to taking risks in one’s life. And it’s obvious that there’s a large difference between an Evel Knievel lifestyle and choosing a different option off a menu.

Billy and I have taken many calculated risks in our lives, retiring early being one of them. We had faith in the financial markets to perform as the norms had shown over decades and we had confidence in ourselves to make necessary adjustments along the way. That was 34 years ago!

We believe that a certain amount of risk-taking enriches our lives and - from our experience - we would encourage our Readers to add some risk to their lives as well.

Pursuing the safe and the predictable

It’s easy to talk ourselves out of taking a risk, opting for the patterned and reliable instead. It’s far more appealing for some to have the perceived safety of a secure and predictable path rather than experiencing the discomfort of doing something – anything – out of their tried and true.

However, learning to live with a certain level of uncertainty can help us to grow – in self-reliance, self-esteem, confidence, personal creativity and in developing personal skills.

Taking something other than the standard choice encourages innovative thinking, expands our minds and we are able to develop new ideas.

This is a good thing.

When we focus excessively on security, that, too, can cause stress, anxiety, and an increased sense of fear. We can isolate ourselves needlessly, becoming less likely to participate in social activities, thus curtailing our personal freedom and autonomy. 

Fear of failure

Fear of failure is a big deterrent, and our culture often doesn’t support the idea that having initial failures is all part of having eventual successes. How many times did Thomas Edison fail before success with the incandescent light bulb?

If we avoid risk-taking out of fear of failure, it can result in a lack of fulfillment in life and a sense of boredom. Trying new things can bring about a satisfaction that comes with achieving new goals.

The modern education system often emphasizes a structured and safe learning environment, which can foster a risk-averse mindset. Inadvertently, this can lead to discomfort with taking risks, making it difficult for people to embrace risk-taking behavior in other areas of their lives.

Depression and anxiety

When we avoid taking risks, we don’t expose ourselves to novel challenges, thereby stimulating our mind and emotions. Not invigorating our lives with something new can lead to sadness, a feeling of hopelessness and a perception of our having a lack of control.

Those emotions can contribute to our sense of overall anxiety or a feeling of depression or loneliness.

This is not healthy for us on many levels.

The benefits of risk-taking

The driving force behind innovation in economic, scientific, technological and creative progress is risk-taking. Unique ideas and inventions may come to fruition, advanced products and services can come to market and new jobs are created in the process.

This promotes growth and development in our society and in our economies.

On a personal level, you could start a business or pursue a career opportunity resulting in significant gains in terms of your career advancement and financial stability.

Trying different things can bring excitement and joy into your life. It can help break the monotony of daily routine and add a higher level of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Recommendations and tips for risk-taking

We are not suggesting you throw caution and common sense to the wind. There are plenty of ways to take risks that are not dangerous or future-harming and will enlarge your experience of life.

Shake up your daily routine by utilizing any of these recommendations or tips. You’ll find that even small steps will add some vigor to an ordinary day.

Choose an unfamiliar menu option

Wear a different color of something

Wear a Panama hat or fedora

Take a different way to work

Walk on the other side of the street

Use your non-dominant hand for an hour

Choose a different music selection

Take a Latin dance class

Learn to play a musical instrument

Learn a new language

Take a class at your local community college or university

Try out at your local theater

Buy a stranger a cup of coffee

Learn a new word a day

Buy a house plant

Try a new hobby

Take a spontaneous day trip or weekend getaway to a never-before-seen location

In general, the value that risk-takers bring to society is that they help drive innovation and progress. Their willingness to take risks can lead to discoveries and advancements that benefit us all.

Even if you are not the personality type to brave an expedition to Antarctica, or invent the next “Big Thing,” adding a bit of spice to your life by trying something different will open your mind and bring a spring to your step.

Why not try it out?

Remember, Thomas Edison failed 9,999 times before he succeeded in refining his light bulb. Fortunately, he persevered, and we have all benefitted from his discovery.

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Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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