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After having worked with thousands of entrepreneurs over the last 29 years, I have seen many succeed but many more fail. And what distinguishes the two groups? Successful people consistently push themselves outside their comfort zone to achieve their goals.
Best selling author Brian Tracy, whose teachings I have been following for more than 25 years said, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”
Another best selling author, Denis Waitley who has trained countless U.S Olympic athletes said, “To achieve your dreams you must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”
I am convinced that you must push yourself outside your comfort zone to make any advances in your life. Think about it. Your comfort zone is where everything feels safe and familiar. How can you reach greater heights personally and professionally if you aren’t stretching yourself and growing on a regular basis?
It’s Time to Get Uncomfortable
Being honest with yourself, do you avoid doing things you know you should do because they make you feel uncomfortable?
Contemplate how your life could change if you ventured into the “discomfort zone”. Would you feel better about yourself? Would you become more respected by your peers and colleagues? Would you have more self-confidence? Would you be more successful?
Your first step on the road to greater achievement focuses on the little things you know you should do but don’t feel comfortable doing. If you push yourself to do the little things that thrust you outside your comfort zone your confidence will begin to grow. It could be as simple as saying hi to a stranger.
As you build your confidence in doing the little things, you’ll slowly build your confidence do the big things. This is how it works for all of us. We all start by building our confidence in the little things.
When you first step outside your comfort zone it’s likely you’ll feel nervous and perhaps some fear. But unless you are doing something dangerous or risky nothing bad is going to happen to you. To the contrary, that knot in your stomach is your signal that growth and opportunity lay ahead. So feel the fear and do it anyway.
As Dale Carnegie said, “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.”
So, will you start to be intentional about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone? Will you commit to doing the things you know you should do even though they make you feel uncomfortable?
When you get a shortness of breath and your heart starts to beat out of your chest, just ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” Then fire yourself up and do it without further hesitation! You will feel great! You will have conquered a fear. Your confidence will grow.
“Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!”- T. Harv Eker, Author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.
About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 30 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are ranked #27 in America’s top 100 podcasts and #1 in the personal and development field.)
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As a dynamic entrepreneur for 30 years, Todd Smith has enjoyed professional success, ranking him in the top 1/100 of 1 percent of the people in his chosen fields. His podcasts are the # 1 most subscribed to podcasts in personal and professional development field (exclusive of iTunes). More than 200,000 of his blog posts are read each month.