There’s a saying that growth happens outside of our comfort zone. My favorite representation of this is the chalk drawing in the photo above. The place where we feel vulnerable, fearful, apprehensive, that’s where the magic happens. That’s where we need to be to grow our spiritual businesses.
Except, sometimes we like to curl up in our comfort zone. It’s safe there. It’s warm and snuggly, a cocoon of familiarity that embraces us and fills us with the comfort of routine. Even spiritual entrepreneurs sometimes slide back into our comfort zone, especially when just starting out. The effort and concentration it takes to constantly be on our toes conquering challenge after challenge can wear on even the most stoic of business minded people.
It’s nice to visit our comfort zone every once in a while to take a break, recharge, maybe do a little more groundwork and then break out to start working on making the magic happen again. It’s a beautiful place, our comfort zone, and you’d think it would be supportive of our entrepreneurial spirit by holding the door open as we leave and wishing us a fond farewell until the next time. It’s not. It’s a trickster, like the old tales of Coyote, changing shape and tripping us up. It can quickly turn to quicksand, keeping us stuck in our feeling of contentment just long enough for the mind to start reciting the chain of judgments and doubts. It has a strong grip and is not willing to let go that easily.
When you find yourself in the grip of an all too comfortable comfort zone you need to take stock of your purpose, your goals, and your timeline. What do focused entrepreneurs do to ensure forward movement?
- Focus on Yourself First: Start your day with something that you love to do! You will be in a much better frame of mind by focusing on yourself first. Save all those emails for later and focus on your goals.
- Prioritize: Plan your day and stay with your plan. You get to decide what is a priority task and what’s not. This way, you avoid those sneaky time wasters that creep into your schedule.
- Stop Multitasking: Yes, you read that correctly. Stop it. Multitasking is an illusion that makes you feel like you are accomplishing more things than you really are. Instead, block your time into small chunks of 20-30 minutes and focus completely on ONE task during that time. You will be much more productive by being mindful!
- Practice Self-Care: You can’t do your best work if you are not at your best physically, mentally, and emotionally. We know how easy it is to get caught up in our businesses but don’t ignore your needs in the process. Take time out during your work day to meditate, stretch, take a walk (or a nap), and eat to nourish your body. You’ll be on your A-game for sure!
Starting with those four, simple ways to refocus is sure to get you back on the right track and out of your comfort zone. Another way we seem to become stuck is by letting fear into our thoughts. Entrepreneurial fear is usually created from nothing but a societally defined inability to accomplish something to a predefined standard. Guess what? You’re in charge and you only have to answer to yourself. We call fear by another name as well, self-limiting beliefs, and those beliefs have just as much power to hold us in our comfort zone as familiarity does. If fear has a grip on your productivity, these four ways can help you appease your fears and move confidently forward.
- Take Action: Even if you are thinking you are not ready yet, you are. Stop avoiding a task because you are unsure, timid, etc… and take action on it instead. After all, the only way forward is through.
- Don’t Worry About What Other People Think: Seriously. Just be yourself. Those who connect to you will and those who don’t, won’t. It’s as simple as that. There’s no sense in getting yourself worked up over unknowns. You know how to be you. You’ve been you since the day you took your first breath. Be confident in the abilities that you are bringing to the world.
- You Have Everything You Need: Stop worrying about your qualifications. You know what you are doing and you do it well. We have been conditioned by society that certifications and degrees equal knowledge. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You are the expert. Move forward and navigate as you go.
- Don’t Let the Little Things Hold You Back: If you need something done and don’t know how to do it yourself using one of the many sites out there to find and hire someone to do it for you. Fiverr.com and Upwork.com are just two of several sites where you can hire a freelancer to help you with certain tasks you need to accomplish.
Now, no more excuses. Set down that cup of tea, cast the blanket aside, and go make some magic.
P.S. photo credit to https://me.me/i/okay-comfort-zone-where-the-magic-happens-none-13921196
