The Link Between Risk, Learning, Courage
One of the ways people minimize risk is to prepare. They study, train, practice so that by the time they are ready to jump out of the plane, or take the trip, or start the business they have improved their chances of success, by reducing the odds that something will go wrong, as explained by journalist Kayt Sukel in her book, The Art of Risk.
This is also the way people build courage, according to Clemson University researcher Cynthia Pury.
In fact, the most successful business people and parents and doctors and writers and climbers — the most successful in any profession or task — aren’t simply the most talented, but they also work really hard. They prepare and practice and learn and practice some more.
Practice vs. Talent
Even the great moms I know didn’t graduate with a degree from the Mom Academy, (Lawd knows I could have used a Mom Academy) but they are open to new ideas. They talk to others, read books, look in to programs, listen to their kids, adapt their behaviors, try new things – they do whatever they can to learn how to stay sane and do the job better. This gives them a bit more confidence that they can handle whatever comes. Even the teenage years.
When Pury talks about the most courageous people, it’s the same deal. These are people that feel fear, but they learn, train, and practice like crazy to minimize the risks of failure.
But, and here’s the thing: how you prepare does make a difference.
Learning with Distributed Practice
According to a paper published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest reviewing different learning styles, the best way to learn and retain the info is through distributed practice.
Distributed practice is the fancy phrase for Not Cramming. Instead of filling your head full of material all in one night, you “distribute” (get it?) your study sessions. When we load up on info in a single session, most of that is lost after a few days. When we study the material over time, we tend to retain it. Then we practice it. But simply practicing the same steps over may not be as helpful as letting your imagination go.
In a study led by Tom Stafford, of the University of Sheffield, the people who improved the most while playing an online game were the ones who spaced out their practice sessions (though both groups had practiced the same amount of total time) or explored different aspects of game play early on. By experimenting a bit in the beginning and distributing their practice time, they were able to optimize learning.
And courage comes with that. When we minimize the risk, and our odds of success are greater, this give us the courage to continue, even when we feel afraid.
