Assessing Risk..An Update of Sorts a few posts down

[giramomma]

All right-here's another one for you to give input about...

How do you go about assessing risk in your life?

What are the factors for you taking on more risk? Is there a point where the risk becomes to much and it's better to go the safer path?

I'm not a risk taker, for the most part.  I couldn't never pull a Dark. Well, I could, if I didn't have kids or a mortgage.

[swamp]

Sept 18, 2014 12:36:54 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

How do you go about assessing risk in your life?

Not well, clearly.

Too many people blow risks out of proportion though.  The only ones that matter are the risks of permanent bodily injury or death.  I put ignoring health problems into that category, since the long term consequences can be seriously damaging or fatal.  

Money is just money.  You can always make more.  We live in a country where even if you lose everything society will provide you with a place to live, food to eat, and medical care.  It's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either.  So, when it comes to financial risks, the downside isn't really that dire.  Your kids will get an education either way.  You'll have medical care either way.  You won't starve either way.  You won't be homeless either way.

and according to many people, life on welfare rocks.

[swamp]

Sept 18, 2014 12:01:14 GMT -5 giramomma said:

All right-here's another one for you to give input about...

How do you go about assessing risk in your life?

What are the factors for you taking on more risk? Is there a point where the risk becomes to much and it's better to go the safer path?

I'm not a risk taker, for the most part.  I couldn't never pull a Dark. Well, I could, if I didn't have kids or a mortgage.

I'm striking out on my own very soon.  I'm petrified.  I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't tossed into the deep end.

[swamp]

Sept 18, 2014 12:42:12 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

and according to many people, life on welfare rocks.

None of those people have ever been on it.

That doesn't seem to stop some of them from having very strong opinions about it.........

[Tiny]

Sept 18, 2014 12:01:14 GMT -5 giramomma said:

What are the factors for you taking on more risk? Is there a point where the risk becomes to much and it's better to go the safer path?

One of the measures for risk I use is  how the risk lines up with the 'value'  of the outcome.  If the outcome is of high value to me - I'm generally more willing to take on more risk.   I guess I should say 'calculated' risk... I consider all the shades of success/value as well. 

I've seen people not do something because they "Need" 100% success for something to be a success... since they won't accept a lesser degree of success - they can't accept any sort of risk.   

As a friend once commented I have a "very good grasp of what's 'good enough' for me"  I don't need 100% success for something to be sucessful and more than likely worth the risks I took to achieve that "good enough" success. 

[quince]

I like to have a big, fat, fluffy cushion at the ready in case I fall. I overestimate the risk in almost every action and get unnecessarily worked up over the teeny tiny possibility of failure, and assume even a fluffy cushion has rocks in it.

I need a sedative, really.  I basically assume I'm over-reacting and then, if something is important enough to me to deal with the stress of taking what I incorrectly perceive to be an extreme risk, I suck it up and deal. I sound out my husband to give me a non-crazy person's perspective on things, weigh that with my discomfort, close my eyes, and charge the brick wall.

[giramomma]

Well-
Here's an update of sorts...

Since last we met, my ILs have agreed to take the Littlest one day a week. This now means we don't need part of my teaching salary to pay for her daycare/preschool. We can handle it all on my day job. And, as a side note, the oldest is thrilled about this. The morning we have to drive the littlest to daycare always truly awful.

I got a small part time job. I haven't formally accepted the offer yet. It works with our schedules, and actually it allows me to be home more at night. 

I've finished my Continuing Ed stuff that I had bee working on. I've also decided for sure, that I'm apply for grad school.  I am underpaid about 10-15% for my skill set. It has come to light that it is time I do this. I think my work will pay for the degree, if not, we will be using the taxable account, and applying for help for tuition at the kids' school next school year. I'm petrified about going back to school. But, if I can get my day job salary up, I don't need to teach as much.

I've gotten through most of the administrative stuff that we were behind on at home.

I'm getting some bites at one of the places I teach.

Today I will be calling the director of the job I'm not sure I have and ask what exactly the status of my employment is. Then I will decide what to do about the small part time job.

Other things left for the month include advertising and getting down with my vocabulary (having conversations with your two year old about fish eating their poops doesn't cut it) and math skills. And thinking about when we might celebrate our anniversary. I always end up doing scouting things on our anniversary.

I'm not worried now, because I have options. Not having any options is really quite scary to me.

DH is also very excited about his new job. He can already tell that this may be a better fit for him to improve processes and showcase his skills. Which might land him another half time contract job (when the littlest is in school full time) or a permanent job. I was also able to give him 36 hours away from the kids and the house. That's the first time he's had a break of more than an hour or two in 5 years.

[happyhoix]

How do you go about assessing risk in your life?

I used to spend a lot of time worrying about this, until we almost got killed by that tornado in 2011.

That made me realize two things 1) often you have very little control over the big risks in your life (cancer, car wreck caused by someone else, natural disaster, company closing, etc) and 2) any day you don't look up and see your roof is gone is a good day.

This helped  me stop worrying so much. I separate those things I have control over from the things I can't control, and I do what I can to prevent avoidable catastrophies (like buying a weather radio) and ignoring the things I can't control (like where that bad weather will happen next).

So I don't spend much time assessing risk anymore. Shit's gonna happen regardless.

[TheHaitian]

We just wing it!!!

[giramomma]

Well, to wrap up, I have lost my teaching hours for the time being.

However, the director wants to hire me as the official Admin Assistant, and I would be doing things like track grants, coordinating run out concerts and the like, and doing some financial things.

So, loss of income, but not terrible. I'm also pee in my pants excited at the opportunity. Because I've been waiting for this opportunity for 5 years now. I hope this is finally it, that I will be groomed to take over. The director is 77ish, and starting to have some health issues.

DH and I agreed that I should turn down the part time job that I got yesterday, and heavily advertise for more students over the next year. I'm going to sleep on it over the weekend. Just to be sure.

But, I think at this point I'm willing to wing it

[raeoflyte]

Good luck Gira!  I can't imagine tackling school with everything you have going on, but the new job opportunity sounds awesome!

[giramomma]

Sept 19, 2014 12:57:47 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Good luck Gira!  I can't imagine tackling school with everything you have going on, but the new job opportunity sounds awesome!

I can't either. I'm afraid. But, if we can manage with my hours cut back, things still might work out. The one good thing is the kids go to bed between 7 and 8. So, I'd get 3 hours of studying a night. Plus work is OK with me doing some studying as long as the rest of my stuff gets done.  I also have 30-60 minutes in the mornings available to use.

I've got major buy in from DH, and I think I need to be better about asking him to do more. I don't expect him to read my mind, and he's more than supportive of my efforts.