In my previous post here on Huffington Post I chatted about what is next, after we have decided what we really, really want.
Well, at some point, if you have a BIG goal, the pace is going to increase, the stakes are going to rise, things are going to get REAL.
At some point, you're going to have to hold your nose, take a deep breath and jump into the zone of discomfort!
Winston says:
"There is always much to be said for not attempting more than you can do and for making a certainty of what you try. But this principle, like others in life and war, has it exceptions."
Here are two more things you can expect when you step outside of your comfort zone
3. You'll feel like giving up, more than once
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But what if you're not tough? Please refer to point 2 - self doubt!
When you start working hard, you will inevitably come across things you don't understand, things that you don't like doing and things that you want to give up on.
My story: Facebook Ads. Oh. My. God. Trying to figure out the Facebook Ads "Power Editor", even with a step by step video guide, took me right back to being a kid who didn't understand maths. I just wanted to GIVE UP.
Yesterday evening, I cancelled my exercise class and told the bloke to go without me. I carried on working through - for another 3 hours. It was painful as in childbirth pushing stage painful! I wanted to give up, more than once.
Winston says:
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
4. You'll feel scared
When you are "upping your game" and stepping up, you are going to have to step outside of your comfort zone. And it's called "comfort zone" for a reason. It's comfortable - not scary. Ergo, being OUTSIDE your comfort zone means - you are scared.
You will feel as if you're in a light aircraft, all kitted up with a parachute, waiting for the plane to get to the correct height. You know that very soon, it's decision time. Your instructor will open that door, position you at the edge and count down.
This is the point at which you have a choice. You can decide NOT to jump. The great thing abut this is that you'll be safe, because you haven't taken the risk that comes with jumping out of a plane with some silk strapped to your back!
But if you make that choice, you'll never know what it would have been like to leap from that aeroplane. You will never feel the achievement of having faced your fear and doing it anyway. And you will probably beat yourself up for not having had the courage to step up (or jump!)
At this point, if you decide you ARE going to jump, you will be terrified like you've never been terrified before!!
Thoughts like this will race through your head...
"Why did I EVER embark on this journey? What on earth was I thinking?"
"Am I going to fall flat on my face?" (Or worse if you ARE actually jumping out of a plane)
"What if all of this is for nothing?"
"What am I going to do it I fail?"
and
"I WANT MY MUMMY!"
When you jump, you really jump. And there's nobody else with you. That moment of decision is yours and yours alone. There will be cheerleaders, supporters - before and after - but the only person who can make the jump is YOU. And that's the really scary bit. That's the bit where you have to screw your courage to the sticking place and just do it.
I can tell you, I feel as if I'm free falling right now. I keep reminding myself to breathe. I keep focusing on the sky instead of the ground. I am waiting for that chute to open.
Winston says:
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
If you really want something badly enough, it's worth the fear, it's worth the self-doubt and it's worth the hard work. It's worth those moments of being utterly fed up and wanting to give up.
Being outside of your comfort zone is more than a trendy phrase used in self-development. Behind those 2 words is your own personal roller coaster. But it's far better to get on that roller coaster and experience the ride in all its glory, than to stay on the side and wonder:
"What might have been?"
So there you go! Now you know what to expect when you step outside your comfort zone.
And you can do this...
Because you are brave, you are purposeful, you are not alone and you WILL keep going.
And it will be worth it.
Winston says:
"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never"
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