The comfort zone is both the most amazing place and the most terrifying place. Knowing how to find the balance of spending time there without zombifying is almost like a magical skill !
The trick is to recognise if you are not learning new things, if you find yourself feeling stuck ? then it is time to break out of the comfort zone. What are quick fixes for ways to do this? Professionally, I opt for a new skill.
Recently, I found myself feeling a bit tooooo comfortable (subtext: I felt a bit stuck and like I wasn’t progressing), as an alpha female, stubbornly it was the last thing I wanted to admit to anyone – I am not great at asking for help so I thought I was supposed to be able to fix things myself and not get myself into these situations. So I reached for something completely outside of my comfort zone – I started investigating how to start a podcast.
Soooooooo many doubtful questions came zooming in: Where was I supposed to even start with this? Would people want to listen to the podcast? Visions of me getting the Megan Markle Spotify treatment of ‘untalented’ sprung to mind. Then I thought, fudge it ! What have I got to lose ? I started researching how to do it.
The reaction I got from those around me was fascinating. Some super supportive, some had lots of questions like “What makes you different from everyone else out there? Why should we choose you? Who’s your competition?” And once I got over the feeling of defensiveness and that I was going to fudge It all up, I realised that I choose me ! And that felt fudging awesome. I know that what I have to offer isn’t for everyone, but it is for some people and knowing that I would be helping those people or contributing to their lives in some positive way, felt amazing. If you put yourself out there, no one is ever going to like you 100% AND THAT’S OKAY. You just wish those people well and hope that they get what they need on their journey from someone else.
And the best part about this? I am getting my children involved, they can see Mummy starting a new business, so I am already imprinting on their brain that there is more than one career route for them. They have even been part of the creative content brainstorming process and came up with some great ideas, that I wouldn’t have thought of ! Do I still feel like I am in my comfort zone ? No way. Do I feel alive and tingly for doing something new? Hell yes.
If you are feeling a bit stuck at the moment, that’s ok. If you can think of something small you can do today to nudge that dial then do it. If not, write a little wish list of things you’d love to try but so far have not got around to doing so, then TODAY take one small step to making one of them happen. You have totally got this is in you. You are awesome. You deserve that tingly feeling of trying something new and nailing it l Choose you ! Xx
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