Where is your "Comfort Zone"?
Every person on Earth has a comfort zone, whether it be
in their personal life and/or their business life. I define
this zone as "the place where one feels safe that is devoid
of challenges or threatening circumstances".
When in business, this zone can be the determining factor
of whether one succeeds or fails. It is very easy to get
locked into that which is comfortable to us and just try to
work a business within those boundaries. But it doesn't work,
it doesn't stretch us to better our business or become the
successful, enlightened person most of us want to be.
Again I ask, where is your "Comfort Zone"?
What part of working your business makes you most
uncomfortable?
Is it still being done anyway?
For some it, is picking up the phone and making that
business contact, or writing their first newsletter or
setting short and long term goals and sticking by them
or revising them as things change. For others, it might
be talking person-to-person trying to network, or writing
a vision statement of where they eventually want to end up
or even asking someone to be their mentor.
The first step to "stretching that comfort zone" is to
replace the negative thought:
I can't...
I will fail...
Who will listen to me...
They will just say no...
I'm not a writer...
I'll make a fool of myself... and so on and so on......
With just the opposite:
I can...
I will succeed...
They might just listen and if they don't, well I'll move
on to the next person...
Hey, let's ask, they could say "yes"...
I've never written anything before but I can give it a
shot...
I will only make a fool of myself if I don't try...
Believe me, there is no quick fix here. It takes constant
positive mind talk to get to the place where one's self-
confidence and "I can do it" attitude kick in.
The second step after working on the mind, replacing
those negative thoughts, is to take ACTION! The only true
way to break out of that comfort zone is to do the thing
in business that we want to constantly put off - possibly
due to fear or lack of self-confidence. To coin the Nike
phrase "Just Do It!".
Yes, it is easier said than done but how important is
it to us to succeed in our businesses?
How important is it to us to make contact with the right
kind of people?
How important is it to build a customer base or find the
perfect partners?
To most, these things are very important but they will not
be possible unless we are willing to do the things that are
the most uncomfortable to each of us.
For me personally, the 2 major struggles were writing a
newsletter and making phone contacts. With the newsletter,
I had never written one and just didn't know where to start.
After spending several days reviewing other online newsletters
to get a feel for the formats that could be used, I made
myself sit down and write one. I told myself I couldn't do
anything else until it was done.
Because I did this mind talk and mentally prepared myself
for the task, it was done in about 2 hours. I did, later, do
some fine tuning but the point it I sat down and got it done.
With the phone calls, I told myself I had to make at least 5
calls before I could move on to other business issues. Right
from the start, I found after the first 5, I wanted to make
more. I still struggle from time to time pushing my comfort
zone to make the first call but after that it gets easier.
What can you do today that would stretch you and be good for
your business?
Sit down, make that call, write that newsletter, write down
your goals, network your business or whatever it is that makes
you uncomfortable (or may even scare you). Push yourself and
do it now! Not only will it help you build your business but
think how good you will feel afterwards to be able to say,
"I did it and it wasn't so bad after all!"
Make a commitment to yourself to either once a day or once a
week (depending on your schedule) to do at least one
"uncomfortable" act to build your business and put you closer
to succeeding.
STRETCH THAT COMFORT ZONE!!
About the Author
Teri Mitchell is a stay-at-home mom with her own online business.
She is committed to helping others succeed personally and in
business. Visit her website at http://www.discountbenefits4u.com
or email her: "mailto:terimitchell96@earthlink.net". To subscribe
to her bi-monthly newsletter: "mailto:WMONews@quicktell.net"