Few things will propel you forward like stretching your limits will. On the flip side of that,staying comfy cozy all the time will get you nowhere. Comfort zones might sound nice, but they are death to progress. The sad truth is, many don’t even realize they live there.
When was the last time you did something for the very first time? It does not matter whether it was trying a new food or using a new word. opening your mind to thinking in a new capacity, or trying a new sport or hobby.
Has it been awhile? If so, I am betting you are not experiencing much personal growth. Growth does not happen in the comfort zone.
Think about that for a moment. As you look back at your life and your personal development. Have you ever felt Growth without being uncomfortable first? From learning to walk or learning a new business skill. All growth and advancement is preceded by discomfort.
Now, think about somebody you admire professionally. Do you think they got there by staying comfortable? Never doing anything? Heavens no. Those at the top got there by stretching their limits! working through their discomforts until they are comfy in it, then they do it again. That is a major key to success in any situation. so let’s learn how to blast out of our comfort zones.
The first step to getting out of a comfort zone is to realize you are in one.
Many times, we have grown complacent and quit growing in an area and don’t even realize it. We stop at “good enough” and get cozy with it. When we do that, “good enough” is all our lives will ever be. We say we want marvelous lives, but too often aren’t willing to do the work to see it happen. We act as if life will magically fall into place as we sit there and wish it so. My friend, it does not work that way.
It’s easy to spot a comfort zone when we are talking activities like public speaking or trying a new hobby. But can you recognize them in the day-to-day things you are doing now?
One good place to look for them is in the things you’ve done exactly the same way year after year, after year. For example, let’s say you have had a website for years. So SEO, email marketing etc are familiar to you and you are comfortable using them. You’ve stayed in business all this time. the whole concept of social media marketing scares you! So you’ve never ventured into that arena to drive business. You’re leaving a lot of money on the table by clinging to what you are comfortable with.
Another place you will find comfort zones is in the things you do well enough. You say you are doing them, but you’re not all in and it shows. For instance you say you are all about improving overall health. as long as it doesn’t involve giving up your favorite bad habit or two. In reality, you are committed to looking like you are committed. when you reached a place of discomfort, you called it done and backed off. You are in a comfort zone, and like most stagnant things, you will never grow.
Now that you have identified some comfort zones, how do you break out of them?
Blow holes in all of your excuses, equip yourself, take a deep breath and do it anyway!
Take time to actually write down every excuse you have for not venturing into unfamiliar territory. Then you need to analyze them honestly, create a comeback, and use it on yourself. For me, it helps to treat myself as I would others. As a mother of many, I have a comeback for about every excuse imaginable. You do likewise and show tough love to yourself.
Here is an example: imagine you’ve been dabbling with the idea of blogging to support your business. You know you should, but the thought is overwhelming. You are so sure that if you did, yours would be the first blog in the history of blogs to never have a visitor. So, here you are three years after first thinking it’d be a good idea…and you are still tossing the idea around.
Yikes! That’s craziness. Either do it or quit acting like you might some day. As they say….sh*t, or get off of the pot. Being the smart cookie you are, you opt to flee that comfort zone and start a blog. It’ll be a whole lot easier if you blow holes in your excuses first. Take them one at a time, realize they are ridiculous, and forget you ever said them.
To use our example of starting a blog, the first thing most people use is “ but nobody wants to read what I have to say”. Oh really? Billions of people out there and you are that sure nobody would appreciate your words? It is time for a reality check. Unless you are as useful as a screen door on a submarine. There are people who will find your writings to be beneficial for them. You matter and your messages will matter…and people will find then gravitate.
People won’t be as likely to find your blog though if you don’t equip yourself for the job. That is the second step of the process for ditching the comfort zones. Find some of the best resources available for learning all about successful blogging. Then go a learn those resources until you are the Blogging mas
The more you venture out of comfort zones, the easier it gets.
It is also the most challenging part for many, but there is no way around taking that first step. Everything you have ever learned, you did for the first time once. Remember that. Usually, our fears are irrational and can be put aside.
Then it comes down to that critical moment of commitment. Will you….or won’t you? It’s scary, but you’ve realized your fears are largely ridiculous. The not-so-crazy fears? Well, you face them and do it anyway.
You hit “publish”, you step out on a stage or you go for it with your unique marketing approach. Immediately, pride in yourself wells up inside of you. You are instantly empowered to do it again. Nothing feeds success like success. the next time you are taking a deep breath and going for it, it’ll be a little bit easier.
As with most things, practice makes it easier. Leaving comfort zones is no exception. The more you do it, the easier it is. . A little fearlessness can go a long way in an entrepreneurs world. The only way it gets easier is through practice…so let’s talk about that next.
Learning only goes so far! Conquer through doing.
It is also the most challenging part for many, but there is no way around taking that first step. Everything you have ever learned, you did for the first time once. Remember that. Usually, our fears are irrational and can be put aside.
Then it comes down to that critical moment of commitment. Will you….or won’t you? It’s scary, but you’ve realized your fears are largely ridiculous. The not-so-crazy fears? Well, you face them and do it anyway.
You hit “publish”, you step out on a stage or you go for it with your unique marketing approach. Immediately, pride in yourself wells up inside of you. You are instantly empowered to do it again. Nothing feeds success like success. the next time you are taking a deep breath and going for it, it’ll be a little bit easier.
As with most things, practice makes it easier. Leaving comfort zones is no exception. The more you do it, the easier it is. A little fearlessness can go a long way in an entrepreneur’s world. The only way it gets easier is through practice…so let’s talk about that next.
The more you venture out of comfort zones, the easier it gets.
Let’s say your challenge is public speaking, You know it would make such a difference in your business. If only you could muster up the guts to do it, but alas, you are quite the chicken. What to do? Start blasting out of other comfort zones to empower yourself before tackling the big one. The areas you are stretching yourself in don’t even need to be related to your business. It is the habit of fearlessly doing it anyway we are wanting to develop. The areas we develop it in are not as important as working through our fears is.
So, if being scared to death of public speaking is your issue, you need to be in public. you might start with pushing your daily workout into an area you’ve not ventured before. You could choose to talk to at least one stranger every time you are out and about. You could work at busting out of your comfort zone with taking up a new musical instrument. If trying new foods freaks you out, go for it and conquer that fear.
The goal is to get more comfortable with being brave. You do that by practicing doing new things. They don’t necessarily have to be scary, they just have to require that you stretch yourself a little bit further than you are comfy with.
All of that bravery can help empower you to conquer public speaking. Really! Doesn’t that sound like fun? It’s almost too good to be true, yet many are content to stay in their little comfort zone. Where they never have anxiety…but they also quit growing.
You understand the importance of personal development. So, let’s do something about it!
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Pick an area of your life that you know, deep down, you need to step up to the plate in. We all have at least one. I want you to write down every excuse you have for not doing it. Then, after blowing the excuses away, you take a deep breath, go for it….and then come back here and tell us about your experience.
Sacha, our fearless Commander-in-chief at Sassy Lasses, has extreme social anxiety and doing live videos was a Goliath to her. what did she do? She did the mental strengthening to prepare herself, blowing excuses out of the water. Then she took a deep breath and she did it anyway.
The result? Now, she is not only rocking live video presentations, but she is enjoying it. She is finally feeling equipped, ready to handle the challenge. That crippling fear is mostly gone and it gets weaker every time she speaks. The next challenge she faces will be easier because she conquered her fears in that area.
Now, you go and do likewise…then do come back and share your experience with us. We would love to hear all about how you left your comfort zone behind!
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