I am writing this for me as much as I am for you.
This year I’ve become unhappy with what I’ve been doing. I took on more than I should have, and most of them were things that brought me very little joy. I realized when talking myself through what I wanted for 2020 that I needed to break up with my old self and my old ways of doing things. They just aren’t working for me anymore.
I need a change
Just like you, I have high aspirations. I want to do it all, make all of the money, go all of the places…well, you get it. At least that’s what I thought I wanted. But, in looking back at 2019, there is one thing that I did that just didn’t work for me.
THE SAME OLD THING
Yes, I went to new places, started The Compass Girls, etc., but the ONLY time that I really stepped out of my comfort zone was a tiny step that had a major impact on me. It was speaking to a room of women about taking responsibility for their own futures.
- It was a big step for me getting back in front of people speaking and I realized just how much I had missed it.
- I neglected to take my own advice and kept doing things the way that I always had, which came to a head this week when I got the year-end overwhelming feeling that things need to change.
It can be really hard to turn those dreams and goals into a reality.
The truth is many of us struggle to reach our goals. The reason frequently involves our apprehension about step out of our comfort zone.
It’s true that nothing ever happens in our comfort zone.
I’m a perfect example of that. Just like yesterday, it’s the place that keeps us in the “someday” mode of pushing our goals to the side until the time is right, for another day or when you have more skills, money, and time.
Unfortunately, “someday” never happens.
Eventually, the life you dreamed of becomes a memory, a wish-I-would-have thought. Our fear of trying something different, putting ourselves out there and going for it keeps us from taking action. We let our comfort zone keep us safe. I know this. I had done it for years, but for some reason, I let 2019 slip through the cracks.
I’ve been there and I know that
Your comfort zone keeps you paralyzed from attempting what you desire. You may have goals and dreams but are afraid of the what-if’s that might happen when you do try. Instead, it’s safer to stay where you’re comfortable instead of getting hurt or humiliated by attempting your goal.
Maybe, like me, you’re afraid of speaking to a large group of people so you don’t go after the next level, even though it is what you really want. You keep to yourself and stay in your lane, just because it’s easier.
Maybe you don’t go after your desire to start that creative endeavor just because you don’t know where to start, or worse…are afraid that it might fail. Instead you stay doing the same thing you’ve always done and frankly, you’re just not getting the joy that you should be. Maybe you don’t try new adventures because you have an aversion to meeting new people and looking foolish. So you stay at home.
Why STAY in that comfort zone?
- Fear of the unknown, uncertainty
- Anxiety over change
- Negative mindset, pessimistic outlook
- Lack of clarity and focus
- Fear of failing (or succeeding)
No matter what it looks like, it becomes a big trap. You stop advancing your business, your relationships and even your promises to yourself. You don’t grow and develop personally. You eat the same way, live in the same place, drive the same kind of car, and associate with the same people. It gets boring, doesn’t it?
That comfort zone you’ve been stuck in lets you willingly passing up important opportunities. Because of this, you might lose touch with your relationships, your health may begin to have serious problems, and you end up living a life of mediocrity.
Your fear or unwillingness to take action and step out of your comfort zone for whatever reason can impact THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. If you are afraid to take the next step, and never do, you’ll stay where you’re at today. If you worry about what will happen if you go for your goal so you end up not going for it, then my friend, you won’t ever reach it.
When you see yourself struggling to achieve your goals it’s often because you are stuck in your comfort zone. You are afraid of change, of doing things differently and being someone different.
So, what are you waiting for?
That first step may be the hardest, but it’s just a step. I’m putting one foot in front of the other and am taking a LOT of new steps this year. I hope that you’ll join me, support me, and take a little inspiration, because GREAT THINGS ARE COMING, and I can’t WAIT to support you in your new steps as well.
Together we can help each other move forward.
