At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Is every day easy? Do you feel no stress? Do you have the real drive for anything? If the answer is yes, yes, yes, you are in that bricked-up cycle known as the comfort zone a haven that surrounds you.
I know a few people live entirely within their comfort zone. They stay in the same house for years or live in the same area; they stay in the same job and visit the same holiday destination’s year after year. They rarely learn something new, grow or develop their skills and tend to have what I call a bubble mindset. Nothing much changes for them. If they are happy in this zone, I say ‘good on them’. These same people comment on how much I have done and achieved, and they sometimes say, ‘I can’t believe all the things that happen to you and all the things you are doing’. My mind ticks over. It wants to reply and say ‘Well, of course, things happen to me. It’s inevitable when you put yourself out there.’
One of my top five values is growth; so taking risks, welcoming change and constantly moving, evolving and embracing uncertainty is high on my list of priorities, and to date, this has served me well. Whether you are a leader of self, a leader of others or you are in a position of influence to lead decisions and change, you need to shake things up and get outside your zone of comfort.
A bit like Dorothy when she was dropped into the Land of Oz, away from everything and everyone she knows as she awakens to a vastly uncomfortable next chapter of her life. As Dorothy gets used to the Land of Oz and becomes inseparable from her acquaintances, she is now back in a comfort zone, but outside the initial one, she lived in back in Kansas. She is given a pair of ruby red slippers from the good witch of the East, where she can tap her heels anytime to go home and yet she doesn’t utilise these powers until she reaches her end goal of getting to the great Wizard in the Emerald City.
To break through, stop focusing on what you need to do; your purpose will guide you here. Instead, be still and think about who you need to be. It doesn’t matter what you do to achieve what you want unless you are not who you need to be first and foremost to make it happen.
We have all heard that person say, ‘When I have the money I will buy a big house and have a holiday and then I’ll change jobs and be happy’. This is wrong on so many levels. It’s great to start with the end in mind, but who do you need to be, day in and day out, to fuel your actions to achieve your plans? Reflecting on who you need to be right now is vital. It will help you break out of your comfort zone. As a leader, how are you going to break out of your comfort zone?
Renée
