Episode Transcript
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
But I Don’t Want To!
We like the warm, safe feeling of our comfort zone.
A comfort zone is a safe space where we don’t take risks, but we also don’t grow. It’s not simply a physical space, but a mental concept. It’s not just a wall we’ve built, but it’s also our daily routines and way of thinking.
The danger is that a comfort zone becomes the perfect excuse not to do something, not to take risks, not to grow, and ultimately…not to really live.
Magical things can happen outside the comfort zone. Both change and growth can occur.
But there’s also the dreaded panic zone. That’s why it’s important to be aware of our comfort zone, where it ends, and find the balance that results in amazing growth when we overcome its limits. We also need to be careful to not take crazy risks just for the purpose of stepping out of our comfort zone.
A comfort zone can simply be an excuse not to do something that’s uncomfortable or hard. The unknown out there can be scarier than the known in here.
My comfort zone is staying behind the scenes, out of the limelight. I don’t like being the center of attention. I think this, in part, comes from my upbringing. I was told that it wasn’t all about me and that I didn’t need to toot my own horn. This is based on the Biblical instructions to be a servant to others. (Mark 10:45) That the first will be last and the last will be first. (Matthew 20:16)
This doesn’t mean that I should cower in a corner and hide. God put me here for a reason, and I have a responsibility to live that out.
So why do I bring this up now? Because I’ve been feeling the nudge to step out of my own comfort zone.
Over the past year, traffic on our social media has been steadily growing. Recently, it’s grown even more. In the past few weeks, we’ve had two separate Instagram posts hit over a million views each. It’s great to have been seen by this many people, but we haven’t been able to help a single one of those people build their business.
As I talked through this with business associates, family, and friends, the consensus was clear: there is no personal connection to me. People just don’t know who I am.
Everyone is encouraging me to make videos of myself for social media. I’ve been pushing back … just leave me here in my comfort zone. But the more I thought about it, the more I was reminded of one of the very first posts I ever wrote: Writing a Blog Post … What the Heck Am I Thinking?
It was about getting out of my comfort zone. Now, years and hundreds of posts later, I’m still consistently writing two posts a week. If I hadn’t taken that first uncomfortable step, no one would have read a single one.
As I’ve been thinking about this, I realized a couple of things that confirmed what I’m being told.
Construction customers don’t hire us until they’ve met with me and gotten to know who I am. Why would it be any different for coaching and consulting, even if it’s virtual?
I also realized something else, when I meet with people online, I prefer their camaras to be turned on. Seeing their expressions and emotions makes the conversation real. It gives me a better understanding of who they are and what they need. If I value that, then it only makes sense that others would want to see that from me too.
Last week I wrote about how nothing will get done if we don’t show up. The same applies here. If I don’t take intentional action and do something, nothing will get done. If I want to help construction companies build successful businesses, I can’t keep doing things the way I have and expect different results.
I’m going to have to step out of my comfort zone.
The same thing is true for you. If you’re stuck in your own business comfort zone and want some help stepping out, schedule a free 30-minute coaching call. Let’s take that next step together.
