Get Comfortable

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”
Neale Donald Walsch

More times than not, we unfortunately have the tendency to do things the same way everyday – hoping for a different result. We develop habits in the way we travel to and from the office, things we eat, time we wake up. Habits can be crippling because they pave the way for complacency and mediocrity. Sad thing is it is a slow and gradual process, then finally you realize it, you find yourself in a rut. This rut can paralyze your creative thinking, and your ability to think critically and analytically. So, what do we do to remove this obstacle?

Fear is the crippler, it is what takes over and controls the way we think, talk, and how we react to various scenarios. Linda E. Allen a writer who teaches personal empowerment, leadership, and personal awareness programs, stated that, “…think of fear as an acronym ‘False Expectations Appearing Real’”, that is right, most of our fear is, conjured up, self-imposed and as stated, crippling!

Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable takes risk, and for many this can be debilitating. We often take the easy way out and by doing so we LIMIT so much that is available to us.

Here are a few pointers for changing your mindset and creating positive change in your life:

• Eat the elephant one bite at a time: change is a challenge and scary, so start with small bits, do something different like, have tea instead of coffee in the morning, try a flavored tea, take a different way to work, if you have to leave a bit earlier to ensure your timely arrival, do so. Move your workspace to your dining room or patio – just for the day. Minor changes, even if temporary, can give you a different, fresh perspective.

• Find a mentor: there are so many people that can serve as a mentor in your life, a friend, a loved one, or colleague – these individuals can help you by holding you accountable. Too, your mentor may possess a unique talent or skill that they can help you understand and add to your personal repertoire. Great (smart) leaders are always surrounding themselves with people that are experts at various skill sets to build a well-rounded, solid foundation, both personally and professionally.

• Utilize self-affirmation and belief in yourself: there is nothing more powerful then believing in YOURSELF, many times due to fear and self-doubt, we create these mental blocks about what we can and can’t do, we allow others to dictate our future by creating doubt in us – do not allow people to push negative energy into your life, dispel these notions immediately. Years ago, when in college, I remember asking my track coach what was the furthest I could go as far as competitive meets were concerned in my first year of college; he stated, “…the US Nationals which are being held in Texas – but don’t concern yourself with that, you’ll never make it!” I took this as a personal challenge and worked extremely hard, that year, I made it to the US Track and Field Nationals and placed eighth in the country – I was the only member of my college track team to go from a squad of nearly forty plus.

• Success begets success – when you have accomplished something great or even small wins or have explored a new idea that has worked successfully, shout it from the mountains – sharing your successes will foster and encourage others to do the same – imaging how powerful your organization could be if everyone did this – sharing is powerful.

• Dispel negativity – get everything and anything that serves as an anchor in your life – OUT! Enough said!

• Be consistent and relentless: if you accept things the way they are you will never grow, refuse to take “no” for an answer – look for new ways and methods to creative brilliance. When Thomas Edison was asked by a reporter how he felt failing so many times while attempting to create the light bulb, Edison responded, “I didn’t fail, I just discovered 1,700 ways NOT to make a light bulb” – talk about relentless pursuit of a dream? 

In his book, “The Dip” Seth Godin shares how most people will quit at the bottom of the ‘DIP’ just before an uptick. Be patient, be consistent and it will never fail you.

As you work in your business and on your personal life goals, always ask
yourself the question, “what if?” – challenge assumptions with your vendors, your staff and yourself. For example, now that are shows are back, we will walk around a tradeshow and see the things in a vendor’s booth and accept what we see as, “...well that’s what it is, a mug, clock, or a decal…” but what could it be, pick it up, turn it upside down, look at the bottom, sides, inside and outside – let your mind wander – challenge the obvious and what is ‘acceptable’.

When you reach that point of being extremely uncomfortable…push a little harder, you will be amazed at what is on the other side, that bolsters the creative process, doing so creates boundless opportunities!

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone – 

Happy Holidays, see you in 2022, continued good selling! - CQ