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Breaking Out of Your Comfort
Zone
By Lisa Ryan
In my coaching, at the moment I am in awe of the prisons my
clients have created for themselves. Fear, self-doubt, not worthy, not
deserving, not good enough, not capable enough and more.
These thoughts run through
their minds, meaning they won’t allow themselves to step up and claim the life
they really want to live.
We call it self-sabotage but
it’s deeper than that. To me, it’s a conflict between the old brain and the new
mind.
The subconscious, which by
the age of 7 had a blueprint of what was meant by things like love, safety,
comfort and what was OK with that. From then on has gone to prove that to be
true.
Then the new brain, the
conscious learns something else. It learns it doesn’t have to be that way, that
love safety, comfort and OK ISN’T what they think it is.
They learn that they have to
break through and create a new world for themselves.
This takes
strength.
A strength and determination
that inspires me every time I see it in my clients. What about you? Where are
you in your riding? Are you doing your comfort zone things?
Entering the competitions at
the same level which you know you can do? Training with the same coaches who
you know?
Not pushing you or your horse
because you don’t know what will happen next.
Uncertainty is
scary for many people
You are normal if it scares
you! I want to cry every time I face it!
But the fact is successful
people are successful because they are willing to do what others aren’t.
I’m happy to keep facing my
fears, pushing out of my comfort zone and facing complete uncertainty because I
know the best thing that can happen is – I will learn something.
I also know the worst thing
that can happen is – I will learn something! So I’m going to win no matter
what!
So if we know to succeed we
need to step out of our comfort zone. How do we do that exactly?
The first step is:
1. Be aware.
Awareness is always 97% of
the journey. Start to be aware of why you make the choices you make. Is this
the right choice for you because it agrees with your top values and moves you
towards your vision and goals? Or does it keep you safe and comfortable?
Let’s say the choice is to a
dressage test level 3, and you are in level 4. If your number 1 value is growth
and your vision is to be a Level 1 rider, then the answer is you absolutely
must do the level 3 test.
But you might do that
‘excuse’ thing, where you say you aren’t ready, maybe in Spring, we don’t have
medium trot yet… or whatever else you come up with – but the answer is then
being made from you wanting to stay safe in your comfort zone, and not about
growth and living the life you want to create.
2. Take ONE
step.
If your comfort zone is Level
4, I’m not saying do Level 1. That would be so far out of your comfort zone,
and not really useful in terms of your values and goals.
Also, respect and love where
you are and understand you will feel uncomfortable or uneasy or anxious about
doing this if you choose that response. So, make it a small, doable step.
It might be – look at the
level 3 test. Then it would be – practice the level 3 test at home, then it
might do the level 3 test on another arena, not your place – then finally a
small competition.
Don’t allow yourself to play
the overwhelming strategy. Just break it down into small steps and keep moving
forward.
3. Have the
attitude of winning.
Like I said. When I step out
of my comfort zone, I know the best and the worst thing that can happen is – I
will learn something. And that is winning to me.
Don’t be afraid of learning.
Learning is how we grow!
Learning is how you learned
to walk, how to rise to the trot and a million other things that you do know
without thinking.
So when you realize winning
isn’t if you win the level 3 class, winning is ENTERING the class, you free
yourself up of the pressure.
I make it very easy to win. I
woke up today – winning!
I brushed my teeth today –
winning! I wrote an article for you guys – winning!
I win 1000 times a day so
when I ‘fail’, which I also do ALL the time – it doesn’t matter!
The ‘failures’ give me the
best learning so I win anyway and I learn how to do it better next time.
I trust this helps you and
you will do one thing to push yourself slightly out of that comfort zone.
I know! It’s SUPER comfy in
there!
But it’s also boring and
stagnant and you will never achieve any new results from there!
Lisa Ryan is the Chief Appreciation Strategist with Grategy, a company
founded on the principles of leveraging the power of gratitude in business and
in life. Utilizing 20+ years of sales, marketing, and training experience, As
an employee engagement keynote speaker, Lisa helps companies keep their best
customers and top talent from becoming someone else's. She does this by
training individuals, teams and organizations the importance of appreciation in
creating stronger relationships, and becoming healthier, happier and having a
lot more fun in life. Lisa is the author of six books, including: "The
Upside of Down Times: Discovering the Power of Gratitude," "Express Gratitude,
Experience Good: A Daily Gratitude Journal," "From Afraid to Speak to
Paid to Speak: How Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety Boosts Your Confidence
and Career," and "With Excellence." She is featured in two
movies: the award-winning "The Keeper of the Keys" with Jack Canfield
(Chicken Soup for the Soul), John Gray (Men are From Mars/Women are From
Venus), and Marci Shimoff (Happy for No Reason and "The Gratitude
Experiment" with Bob Proctor, Dr. John DeMartini and Mary Morrissey.
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