The words “I don’t know” aren’t really in my vocabulary, especially when it comes to work. And even as a kid I didn’t do a lot of embracing of my silly side (not sure I even had one). At first, I didn’t really get Erik’s argument that these steps are part of mental preparation. I might have assumed the opposite—you know, that getting mentally prepared means adopting a serious mind-set and believing you have all the answers. But I see what he’s saying. Pretending to have all the answers all the time is totally exhausting, and it’s made me vulnerable in a lot of different ways. Same thing with maintaining a serious demeanor. I’m not sure I’m going to start skipping down the hallways at the office, but I will look for ways to bring a little more levity to my job and life.
Risk tolerance isn’t exactly in my blood. When I was growing up, my father was always worried about money, despite the fact that he was a successful vice president at a big public relations firm. He had four kids to put through college and a nice house in the suburbs, so there were a lot of responsibilities. As a result, he stayed in a career that he really didn’t like for thirty years. He himself had grown up in a pretty poor home, so the prospect was very real to him—the thought of losing the house or not being able to put his kids through college. I relate to that, now that I have a mortgage and mouths to feed. So getting comfortable with risk is going to be a huge challenge. But it’s one I want to take. Because I look at my dad now, and I know he regrets the way his professional life played out. I don’t want to go down the same path.