One of the important steps a person can take to help them re-discover their purpose, what they value most, and what their ideal life could look like is to stop being stuck in status quo. Remember that famous Comfort Zone we’ve all heard of? Well the opposite of a comfort zone is a Courage Zone. The courage zone is discussed by author and leadership expert, Bill Treasurer. Every time you try something new, speak up when you know something is not right, or trust that your actions will work out in the long run, you are moving out of your comfort zone and into you courage zone. This means your comfort zone grows – you become more comfortable over time doing new things you had never done before. There is an old saying that courage is not being unafraid, but instead it is being afraid and still taking action.
For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know that after I left the retail sales field I worked in organizational training and development, human resources, and strategic planning for several nonprofit organizations. I spent a few years at each workplace, learning and growing. I got a promotion every time I moved to a new job, but I wasn’t trying to climb the corporate ladder, instead I just kept thinking there was something else I was meant to be doing. I kept running out of passion about my work, and I thought that I wasn’t using my true talents. I was working hard. I was accomplishing a lot. Yet I still was feeling burned out and unfulfilled because I had no sense of purpose, no passion left for the career path I was on, and continuing to work at all started to seem completely meaningless to me other than as a way to pay the mortgage and buy groceries.
Finally, it got to the point when I thought about starting my own business every single day – even while at work (don’t tell my previous boss!). But I didn’t know how to even get started, I had no idea what my passion really was, and I had no one in my network of friends, colleagues and family who seemed to understand or support the way I was feeling. Of course, I did finally take that leap and start my own business a few years ago, and I spent countless hours, time, and energy developing a program that worked – not just for me, but for so many of my other clients who include both corporate clients and individual women business owners. One of the things I found to be absolutely vital was a step-by-step system. It’s simple, although that doesn’t always mean it’s easy to do. Here are the basics:
#1 Awareness: Know where you stand in your business
#2 Vision Casting: Know where you want to go
#3 Action: Plan how to get there
It’s a Strategic Adventure that is all about moving forward and achieving big results. Of course it’s easier said than done, but with the right system and support structure it will absolutely get you out of status and grow your comfort zone so you’re doing things you never expected. Part of this is really having a support and accountability system to help you stay motivated, moving forward, and clear about your vision.
Let’s get some dialogue going here. What do you think is keeping you stuck in status quo?