How to Take Risks Like a Stunt Driver (infographic)

Our favorite action movies often feature fast cars speeding through traffic, jumping off bridges, and often crashing into things. Behind the wheel of these daring stunts are highly trained professionals in stunt driving. Without them and their courage to pull these stunts off, our movies may be a lot less exciting. You may have never thought about what these drivers do for a living but each day involves taking some kind of risk.

It definitely takes a special kind of person to drive these cars through fire, explosions, and other daredevil situations. These stunt drivers are drawn to risk and often times seek the adrenaline from conquering a new skill on the set. However, this doesn’t always come at no cost. Sadly, there have been many injuries and even fatalities during filming. Safely executing a stunt requires a team of trained personnel, designers, producers, and safety measures. Stunt careers aren’t for everyone, but we can all take away some advice on how risk-taking can benefit us.

Most of us avoid risks when it comes to our personal and professional life. Most of the time because the fear of failure holds us back from making any moves. Learning how to properly assess risk in any situation can help you take more chances and grow in ways you never thought possible.

This fun spin on risk-taking lessons shows us how stunt drivers step out of their comfort zone so that we can apply the same tips to our life, career, and finances.

Why take risks?

Simply put, without taking any risks, there would never be any personal growth or opportunity. You will never land your dream job if you don’t put yourself out there and you’ll never reap the high returns of your investments if you always play it safe.


Risk is suppose to scare us – otherwise there would be nothing stopping everyone from taking risks and there would be no rewards. However, the fear of taking risks is the same fear that holds us back from new opportunity. Fear of failure is one of the most common reasons why we don’t take risks. You may have a dream of starting your own business, but are too afraid to take the plunge out of fear that it may fail. But what if it took off? You could be missing out on untapped success.

When to not take risks?

It’s difficult to say because there is hardly a black and white answer to this one. However, you can take steps to carefully assess each risk and determine the best path for you. This all depends on the safety net you have, your propensity for risk, and how well you can recover if anything goes wrong. Obviously, you shouldn’t take risks that cause danger to yourself or others. Whether it’s your mental or physical well-being, don’t put yourself on the line.

Risks to take in life

If you’re in the younger stage of your life, you may be more willing to take risks than people older than you. This is because you probably don’t have many health issues to worry about and you may not have children to support. While younger people are more prone to taking risks, it’s never too late to decide you want to do something outside your comfort zone.

Here are some ways you can take more risks in your personal life:

Make a move to a new city: Lived in the same town your whole life? Consider packing up your things and starting off fresh in a new city. This will challenge you to make new friends and explore your new surroundings.

Conquer your fears: Afraid of heights or have terrible flight anxiety? Try investing time into revealing the underlying reasons behind your fears and either seek help to conquer them or take small steps to facing them.

Invest in personal development: Try a new hobby that you’ve never tried before or take art lessons to develop new skills. You may surprise yourself with hidden talents yet to be discovered.

Risks to take in your career or business

Starting your own business or making a drastic career move are often seen as risky. That’s also why entrepreneurs are viewed as risk-takers. You invest a lot of time and money to build a business and many of them do end up failing. However, there are many successful entrepreneurs who have failed and learned from their mistakes. That’s one benefit of risk-taking — you get to learn things about yourself that you never expected.

Here are some examples of how you can take risks in your career:

Pursue your passions: If you feel stuck in your current job, maybe it’s time to venture into a side hustle or look into other career paths. You’ll find much more success in doing something you love.

Find your specialty: Once you’ve nailed down what you like to do, try to pinpoint what you excel at and how that sets you apart from others. This may take a lot of trial and error but it’s the best way to build confidence and value.

Accel at your own pace: We have to remind ourselves that not everyone follows the same path. Don’t feel rushed to make a move. Instead, take time to perfect your skills so that you’re fully prepared.

Risks to take with your finances

Investors are also known for their ability to profit off of their risk-taking. This situation may be one of the trickiest because everyone has their own propensity for taking risks with their money. If you feel uncomfortable managing your own investments, look to a financial advisor to help you get started.

Otherwise, here are some of the takeaways you can learn about risk-taking in finances from stunt drivers:


Calculate risk: Analyze all of your options and research how the outcomes may be for each situation. Carefully calculated risks so that you can make an informed decision on the best move for your finances.

Know your limits: Even professional stunt drivers have limits when it comes to stunts. In your finances, set hard cut off lines for what you feel comfortable losing so that if the time comes you can make decisions clearly.

Anticipate failure: Before taking risks, know that you have enough padding in your finances that you can stand to take some losses here and there. Having a solid backup plan is the best way to prepare.

Playing it safe

Now that you have a better idea of how you can take more risks in your life, you should also know some of the tips for playing it safe. Like mentioned before, don’t put yourself in danger. Know your limits and don’t be afraid to turn down opportunities that don’t seem like a good fit. Carefully analyze the pros and cons of each outcome to make an informed decision. Lastly, if you do experience failure, turn it into a learning opportunity.

Risks can be as small as making a new friend or as large as getting a new start in a different city. As you take risks throughout your life, you’ll become more equipped with the tools and feedback to make smarter decisions in the future. Stepping outside your comfort zone should excite you, rather than scare you. In the end, you’ll grow beyond what you could have ever expected.

9 Lessons We Can Learn on Risk-Taking From Stunt Drivers (And When to Play it Safe)

Read next: The daily routines of 36 inspiring women
Previous Post Next Post