Stepping out of the 'ole comfort zone

"First you have to jump out of the airplane. You figure out how to fly on the way down."  -Tim Hicks, Business Consultant, Engineer, and Creative

OK, I am not advocating jumping out of planes willy nilly. However, you do have to leave your comfort zone to pursue your dreams. And those initial steps outside your comfort zone, no matter how small - well, they can feel like you are jumping out of an airplane.

Sure, your comfort zone is secure and cozy, but what's the price you pay for staying there? Unlived dreams: the longing inside to go do that thing you have been trying not to think about... It might be showing your art, it might be getting a job that serves your mission, or it might be creating your own business. What is it for you? What are you not doing because it's scary, and it's easier to just keep doing what you know, hoping things will change?

Well, if you have an irresistible dream, but are blocked by fear, great news - there is a way through. You need to learn how to ride the edge of your comfort zone. Here's what I mean by that... staying safely inside your comfort zone you can have a hard time motivating, but if you go too far OUTSIDE your zone, you can become swamped with anxiety.  That's what I mean about riding the edge - and everyone's edge and pace is different.

Here's how you stay on your edge on learn how to fly, it's all about mind-set and support...
Mind-set:
1) One of the most unhelpful and widely common responses to feeling stress or fear is to get down on yourself for having it. But actually, acknowledging and accepting your fear is a necessary part of stepping outside your comfort zone.
2) It's critical to learn how to break your goal down into smaller, doable tasks. This allows you to see small successes accumulating and is a great confidence builder. You most likely can't accomplish your goal all at once, but you can find a way to stay reasonably on your edge and move towards your goal. So don't start with "how to become a professional artist", start with the three tasks in front of you today.

Support:
It's necessary to have folks on your team who you can talk about your fears with and who support you in moving forward. It's important these folks help you with accountability - you need someone tracking your progress who cares about it.

It's all about courage and action. Courage is about learning to fly even when you're scared. I look forward to seeing you thrive, grow, and fly!

Best,
Jennifer

P.S. It's not just Y-O-U! Coaches regularly help clients work with their fears while achieving powerful action. Jaemin Frazier of Frazer Holmes Coaching, offers a mentor program for life coaches. His recent blog post includes quotes from 17 different coaches about how they help their clients work with fear.  Check out this post!