You’ve probably been punished for breaking a rule in the past. It may have been a rule your parents made to keep you safe and you learned a lesson from breaking it.
There are risks to every rule you choose to break and you may be the type who loves to break them. Adrenaline rushes from rule breaking become addictive to some people.
If you don’t agree with certain rules of society and plan to break them – either in business or your personal life, consider these five risks involved:
- The risk of alienating people you need or want in your life. Think carefully about breaking a rule that can alienate you from the very people who could benefit you and whom you love. For example, if you go against your parents’ wishes, you may cause them angst. Weigh the benefits and then act accordingly.
- Lose your job. Some rule-breaking may result in the loss of a job or position in a company. Insisting that you can work from home and get more done may alienate other coworkers who trudge to work each morning. You may also miss out on valuable one-on-one time with your boss or others important to your job.
- Expressing your opinion. Standing up for your values can be a risk that gives you great satisfaction and can boost your self-esteem. It may also alienate you from a person – or group of people. Beware of the consequences of your words and then do the right thing.
- Unqualified for the job you’re in. You may have gotten a position by promising that you’d be a fast learner and meet all expectations required of you. At some point, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of work or learning process that you didn’t expect. Know what you’re getting in to before leaping into a job you’re not qualified for.
- Not taking yourself seriously. This rule needs to strike an equal balance. When you take yourself very seriously, you run the risk of others perceiving you as pompous and a “know it all.” But, if you don’t find the balance between being serious at times that require it and having fun at appropriate times, you may never be seen as the authority figure you want to be.
Breaking rules can have a negative impact on some areas in your life that you may not expect. Study the pros and cons of a rule before you decide to break it and then act in your best interest.
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