In the past 60 days, what have you done differently to improve your performance? Have you learned and practiced a new skill? Maybe you overcame your fear of failure and attended an event or engaged in a new activity that previously scared you? Or possibly you finally worked up the courage to contact someone you've felt intimidated by?
If you did stretch in some new way congratulations! What did you learn and how did it make you feel? If you haven't challenged yourself in a new way, welcome to the life and career-limiting place called the "comfort zone". Whether you're a millennial just out of school or a seasoned veteran, the danger of getting stuck - not due to external forces, but due to self-limiting beliefs - is ever-present and very real. The triggers are usually fear, uncertainty, doubt, self-story-telling and other similar anxieties. The symptoms include procrastination, indecision, weak commitment, risk-avoidance and the realization that your role is more often as spectator than as a performer on the field or stage.
Here are 3 tips to help you break out of your comfort zone and begin living the life of adventure and limitless potential you deserve:
- Do the behavior you fear before you feel like it! To borrow Nike's famous tag line, “Just Do It!” When you want it bad enough your faith in a positive outcome overrides your fear. You take action and then make course corrections as needed. You've been doing that since birth, and it's worked, so why stop now. You didn't learn to walk, talk, or to do almost anything without constant failure, course adjustment and progress. Why change a plan that works? Your faith isn't tangible (that's why it's often described as a leap) and neither is your fear, so go for it!
- Visualize success. See it! See yourself successfully accomplishing the task at hand. Sports science has proven many times how powerful visualization can be. Say it! Then speak it out loud, first to yourself and then share your decision with others. Let those you trust and who support you hold you reasonably accountable to minimize the danger of your quitting if the going gets tough. Secure it! Next, outline and prioritize any mini-steps required to achieve the goal. Ask for assistance or do some research online if needed. Now you're ready to begin. Take action, adjust and fine tune your plan and get ready to enjoy the feelings that come with progress and ultimately success and growth.
- Have a purpose bigger than yourself. There's a hero inside each of us, the challenge is finding it. Throughout history men and women have done amazing things for the sake of other people, organizations, nations or causes they strongly believe in. Their belief in this bigger purpose has given them superhuman power to face danger, fear, uncertainty and even death so as to not let down people who are often times total strangers. Their personal sacrifices come from a belief in what Robert Greenleaf described as "servant-leadership". Embracing this philosophy is a great way to break out of your comfort zone.
Follow these three simple tips and you too can achieve your greatness. So, what are you waiting for? Let the adventure begin!
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