| Women need to start taking more risks if they | | | | partly behind the eight ball, in comparison |
| want to make more money! And if women are | | | | to men. Women simply haven't had enough |
| going to take more risks, they need to be | | | | practice, to tolerate the anxiety that risk |
| able to tolerate the anxiety that can come | | | | taking entails. And it is in mastering this |
| with risk taking, for that is why risk taking | | | | anxiety that the answer lies.How do you do |
| is so difficult. We need to risk picking up | | | | this? By flexing your risk taking muscles. |
| the phone and calling a potential referral | | | | Actively look for situations and places where |
| source. We need to risk speaking up more at | | | | you can take a risk. Obviously, start small. |
| networking meetings. We need to risk offering | | | | Some of you need to start by negotiating with |
| a new service or creating a new niche. We | | | | your waiter about the irregularities of your |
| need to risk raising our fees.So if we have | | | | order. Some of you are ready to offer |
| so much to gain by risk taking, why is it so | | | | yourself as a potential speaker. But push |
| difficult? Because on top of having to deal | | | | yourself, wherever you are, until you feel |
| with anxiety, the other reality is that you | | | | uncomfortable. (Remember, if you are not |
| won't always win. You won't always get what | | | | pushing on your comfort zone, it actually |
| you ask for. Therefore, being able to risk | | | | shrinks!) Now it's true that by not risking, |
| really means being able to deal with hearing | | | | you are able to avoid feeling uncomfortable. |
| a possible "no" or "not right now", and a lot | | | | But the more you flee from an anxiety |
| of women tend to interpret this as rejection. | | | | provoking situation, the more you build up |
| Rejection always feels more personal than | | | | your aversion to taking risks and feeling |
| simple defeat.Boys learn to deal with risk | | | | anxiety. It will become more and more |
| taking anxiety at a very young age, hurtling | | | | difficult.Remember, you can practice risk |
| their little bodies off of play structures | | | | taking in your own mind. Imagine yourself |
| and later on the sports field. Girls are | | | | taking the risk and see yourself as being |
| actively engaged in their social | | | | calm and okay, no matter what. See it again |
| interconnections while boys are playing a | | | | and again. The more you think about risk |
| variety of "games", sports related and | | | | taking, and imagine yourself able to do it, |
| otherwise. Game playing, which boys tend to | | | | the easier it will be to actually risk |
| engage in far more than girls, teaches | | | | something. Actively ask yourself, where can I |
| important skills. Boys learn that sometimes | | | | take a risk?The bottom line is that it will |
| you win and sometimes you lose. If boys | | | | be difficult to make great money if you do |
| interpreted all "losses" as "rejections", | | | | not take risks. So learn to tolerate risk |
| their game playing careers would be | | | | taking by flexing your risk muscle often. |
| short-lived! And in the dating arena, it is | | | | More money awaits you!Mikelann Valterra, MA |
| still far more common for men to do the | | | | is the founder of the Women's Earning |
| asking, (do the risking) and consequently | | | | Institute and the author of Why Women Earn |
| they must deal with the anxiety of "getting | | | | Less- How to Make What You're Really Worth. |
| shot down".Indeed, there is some evidence | | | | As a specialist in women's earning issues, |
| that risk taking is at least partially gender | | | | her mission is to empower women to earn what |
| specific. (For a great discussion of this, | | | | they're really worth. Through trainings, |
| see Linda Austin's What's Holding You Back? 8 | | | | business support groups and private work, she |
| Critical Choices For Women's Success.) But | | | | teaches women how to make peace with money |
| this means we must leverage our ability to | | | | and create more profitable practices. |
| take risks even more, because we are already | | | | 206.634. |