Taking Risks and Making the Leap

I really enjoy this picture.  The woman dives backwards into the beautiful blue water below without even looking down at it.  She has all the faith in the world that the water will meet her when she lands.  In the meantime, she strikes a confident pose as she journeys towards her goal: to dive safely into the water.

I don't think I would look that graceful if you asked me to jump off a diving board.  First, I've never done it and second it would require me to wear a sleek one piece bathing suit - gulp! 

But I imagine this woman felt pretty good when she landed.  She probably felt proud for taking the leap.  She probably also felt a surge of adrenaline when she reached the target.

And that's what taking risks is all about: having an identified goal, preparing for the journey and then making the leap hoping that you will make it to your target point safely.

Some people find taking risks easier than others.  When I was younger I found it extremely difficult because it meant leaving the safety of the known.  I guess in a way even studying social work was a risk since I had limited experience with the field and it required leaving my family while I went to university.  I didn't know one hundred percent how I would feel about the course work, professors or city.  Yet, it all worked out because I was determined to succeed at my degree and I was willing to overcome almost any obstacle because I had already journeyed so far to start my new life.  But for all the hope I had I should have done more research about the school I attended, the types of courses that were offered and the reputation of the city.  It was pure luck that it turned out so well and now I've learnt after making some significant mistakes that you really have to look at all your options before making the leap.

Social work is such a broad field.  There are so many different types of clients you can have, or not have depending on whether or not you do direct practise.  Then you can work in a large city centre or a small town, or for a profit or non-profit agency.  There so many choices depending on each person's preference.  So how and when do you know you should make the leap to a new area or your first area of social work if you are just starting out?

Before making the leap I would suggest asking yourself these questions:

• What do you know about that particular area of social work?  Are there volunteer experiences available at the agency, or can you speak to any current or former employees who have been in that field?
• What are the potential gains of working in that area, such as personal fulfilment, financial rewards etc.  If the pay is not so great is it worth making the leap even if it means you will have to live on a strict budget?
• In regards to your career goals will it take you on a totally new path and does that give you a sense of excitement and hope?  Or does it make you feel extremely nervous and depressed?  If so, this may not be the right time to make your move or it may not be the right area for you.
• What do your family and close friends think of your potential decision?  Do they think you are crazy, an idealist, or a realist?  How do their opinions make you feel?  Self-conscious and uncertain, or unfazed and determined?
• What do you know about the city or town you are planning to move to?  Can you visit it before taking a job there?  Are there online resources you can look at to give you more information about your potential new home?
• How will you feel if your decision fails?  Devastated, inconsolable?  Or convinced that you learnt something from the experience and are better for it?

As I get older I realise that there is less I have to lose when taking risks.  Since I am single I have no partner or children to be concerned or upset if we end up moving or if I take a job with drastically different hours.  I also realise that I am less concerned with other people's opinions and that no one can tell me what chances I need to take but myself.  By willing to be open to risks I have many more opportunities available to me although they do need to be thought out carefully.  That is where taking risks hurt me in the past - I would often dive in without thinking of the personal consequences.  Could I really live with this job?  Or was I so happy that I got an offer that I did not think about the actual job responsibilities and if they actually matched with my values?

Before taking risks seemed scary to me but I know now I can survive moves, challenging social work jobs and being away from my family.  Now risks feel more like calculated adventures whereby the pros and cons are weighed before I ultimately make the leap into the unknown.