Your comfort zone. That place where you tend to stay within most or maybe ALL of the time. It’s called comfort zone for a reason. It’s comfortable. It’s familiar. It likely feels easier there. Then you get lulled into staying there.
But in staying in your comfort zone are you embracing, enjoying and fully living your ideal life or is something missing?
Are you maximizing the impact you are having on the success of your business and loving your position and involvement in it or do you wish things were different?
Why stretch outside of your comfort zone? Because that’s where the magic happens!
When you take a risk, perhaps a calculated risk, you can grow personally and you can take your business to another level. When you summon the courage to face a fear and overcome it you take back some control in your life. Then you get to apply that new found control to any other aspect of your world that you want. That’s the magic that happens when you stretch outside of your comfort zone.
So how do you do it? Here are two excellent ways. Which one resonates more to you?
Slow Steady Repetition Outside Your Comfort Zone
In survey after survey public speaking consistently gets rated as one of the biggest fears people have. Is it a fear for you? Standing in front of others and presenting something may be a huge stretch outside of your comfort zone.
My earliest recollection of public speaking was in high school where I, along with two classmates, was giving a presentation in front of the class. We were sitting and I was holding the paper when my part came. I remember my voice trembling and my hands shaking so bad that I had to place the paper on the desk. I thought I was going to pass out!
Not my finest public speaking performance. That’s for sure.
So how did I overcome it? I found the courage to do it again, and again, and again. I did it in different environments and on different topics. I don’t recall any specific turning point but gradually it became easier. Gradually I felt more comfortable where now I can speak in front of a small group or in front of a large audience on a stage.
How you get there will be your own journey. For me it ultimately comes down to preparation. Knowing my content and practicing it over and over went a long way in how I feel speaking front of others.
I’m sure glad I took those steps long ago as now part of my businesses marketing depends on me being able to speak in front of others.
Maybe it’s not public speaking for you. What is that one thing you wish was different that summoning the courage to take a first, small step outside your comfort zone could pave the pathway to change and you totally controlling and rocking that thing.
Take that first baby step today and use slow steady repetition. Down the road you’ll look back and thank yourself for doing so.
Leap Of Faith Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Slow and steady repetition may not be your style, at least not in all situations. Some people decide to face their fears and stretch outside their comfort zone with the leap of faith approach. You know, just jump in and go for it. Also known as the band-aid approach where you just rip it off and get it over with fast.
Depending on the situation and what is required it might simply be deciding to finally do it. In other situations some form of inner preparation or self talk and support from others my be needed to help you take your step.
Years ago I was involved in a program that had a portion dedicated to stretching beyond your comfort zone. In one part we were doing a leap of faith. Standing on a platform on the second floor where it was open to the ground floor below, you were secured in a harness where people below had total control to keep you safe. Kind of like in rock climbing. The objective was to leap out into the air and grab onto a bar hanging from the ceiling. If you missed the people below did their thing to keep you hanging suspended until they slowly, and safely, lowered you to the ground.
To me this was just fun. I did it the normal way, facing backwards then turning, and even during that spin and turn blindfolded. It was fun and not a stretch.
But there was one guy who was absolutely terrified by the thought of it. He appreciated me and others demonstrating first but he needed to overcome his inner voice before he had any chance of trying it.
He had to repeat over and over what accomplishing this would mean to him and the power it would give him and at the same time assure himself he would be safe and could trust the supporters below. While me and others providing the same motivation and assurances was good, it was up to him in his mind.
When he finally summoned the courage and jump I think we all held our collective breaths, even though we all knew he’d be fine.
Well, the look on his face when he succeeded and made it to the ground is something I’ll never forget. The tears, the laughter, the hugs all made it worthwhile for him. He walked out of there that day on cloud nine, walking two feet taller and able to take on the world.
The beautiful thing was that it also had a powerful impact on everyone else. We gained from his success.
Imagine the spin off benefit to your team at work or your family when you take a leap of faith type of stretch outside your comfort zone? It could be massive!
Now that leap of faith doesn’t have to be a massive step. It can be something smaller that you simply take the step and do.
I try to do something each year or so that is new to me and sometimes it involves a stretch outside my comfort zone. I can recall moments in my active lifestyle when I tried something new. There is always some hesitancy, and some inner talk to get pumped up to do it.
Cliff jumping for the first time, diving with sharks, trying Fly Boarding, and even Stand Up Paddle Boarding for the first time in the ocean are examples from my past.
What leap of faith, take a chance and just do it thing is out there for you to summon the courage and do? What will you gain by doing so? Get the support you need and do it.
What about in business?
Imagine taking the “leap” and hiring that person you know can help take things off your plate but you’ve been hesitant in doing to due to cost, time to train or some other story.
Imagine reaching out to that mentor you want to talk to but have been intimidated by them or felt they would never have the time to help you. What if they said yes? What impact could that have on your business.
Imagine if you reached out to connect with that one prospect whom you’d love to have as a client… and they said YES!
All a stretch outside your comfort zone only requiring you to summon the courage, affirm why it’s a great idea to stretch, and overcoming your inner voice to do so.
One Stretch Outside Your Comfort Zone Delivers Many Benefits
Yes, performing the stretch exactly where you want to see the benefit certainly happens. Like in public speaking.
But stretching outside your comfort zone in any area of your work or life has the beautiful benefit of transferability of that experience to anywhere else in your world.
As I mentioned earlier each time you do it you gain the benefit of reclaiming power over yourself and your inner beliefs and inner voice. You gain confidence and self esteem. You’ll feel like you can take on the world. Each time will add onto the time before too and it’ll build and build over time
So, whether it’s a slow steady repetition or a leap of faith, just do it. If it still seems like something too difficult to handle on your own then contact me. A huge part of my executive and life coaching and mastermind groups involves support to overcome your biggest roadblocks in business and life.
Find a way to stretch outside your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens!
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.