Get comfortable with being uncomfortable: Pushing yourself past the comfort zone.

I have found that in starting this business I have had to get used to; developing products and services, creating content, marketing (reaching out via social media), building internally. These are all things that I didn’t do previously, that I did not know how to do and that were not part of my daily conversations. Per example, I have been introduced to specific terminology and processes particularly in regards to “how to use social media”, Prior to this, I just used social media as a place to connect with friends and occasionally post when major milestones were going on in my life, I wasn’t aware of how effective Facebook was in truly reaching out to the masses, Facebook Live...what was that? Now I live stream multiple times a week. I had a to truly step out of my comfort zone in order to effectively make use of this platform and access all that social media has to offer.

I came from corporate America. I came from a world where I had plenty of years of experience, I was good at what I did and I was consistently told that I was good at what I did. It was common for me to be praised by my management and peers that they could count on me or that I was the “go to person” so I was pretty comfortable and confident in what I did every day. Fast forward to starting my own business and stepping into this new world where you are unsure so you start to second guess your actions and your decisions. It can be scary however being comfortable with being uncomfortable is something that we are all going to have to embrace. Instead of fearing the unfamiliar, look at it as an opportunity to learn something new. If you change your approach it can actually become something exciting for you. For myself, now lots of times when I am met with a new challenge or experience, I take it on as an opportunity to learn something new and add a new skill to the old “repertoire”. With that said, I just have a few tips this morning to share what I have done to help me become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Start and Don’t Quit

Yes, step one you have to START! If I have something that I need to do for my business or my client and I sit around and think about it for too long your brain can start to talk yourself out of what you can do before you even get started. You need to dip that toe in the water, acknowledge that it’s cold, and make your peace with it and JUMP IN! Once you take the first step, then the next, you will build momentum and discover this is doable. It may not be perfect, wink wink to all my perfectionist out there, but it will get done and more than likely it will be much better than you ever thought it could have been. This approach is a gift, because you are not only learning but you are continually teaching yourself to be adaptable. When new things are unexpectedly thrown your way you will have proven to yourself that you know how to get your bearings and figure it out. The last thing I’ll say on this point is once you get started...DON’T QUIT! Sure it can get hard and you may feel ‘nervous, inadequate, or even “not so bright” but don’t quit. I promise you that when you get to other side it will be worth it, particularly knowing that you faced the challenge head on and didn’t allow being uncomfortable to stop you.

Ensure that you are in the company of like-minded people

I have discovered that as I step deeper and deeper into this new world of entrepreneurship and the unknown of that, lots of the people who were in my life or are still in my life don’t understand this walk. Some of the challenges that I am faced with on a day to day basis are not in the ‘norm” of most people’s work/life activities. Not only may they not understand the challenges but they also may not understand the feeling of uncomfortableness around the challenges. As I stated previously, prior to this world of entrepreneurship the world that I woke up to and went out into every day was quite familiar to me. I knew what to do, I knew how to do it and I could probably do it in my sleep. I don’t think that is unique to me. I think that is most of us. So entering into the world of the unknown and the new and to be able to figure out how to navigate through all the feelings and the concerns and the inadequacies; you will find that you need to surround yourself with people who understands not only the feelings but understand the process. When you surround yourself with people who understand it can be very beneficial as you will be able to learn new tactics and get new insights and ideas to improve your personal development on this journey. Personally, I have mentors, master mind sisters, colleagues and people that I admire. These are people who can share their experiences and how they navigated through particular challenges and are a great resource to support and collaborate with to ensure that you are not walking alone.

Share your Journey

Share your journey with others, with like-minded people and well as with others who have not had to step out “in this way”. “Share the fact that it’s a mind shift and something that I have to reset from time to time. You may not get up every day automatically being comfortable with being uncomfortable but with each new goal that you set and meet it will become a new way of life. To think about everything that I know now and everything that I wasn’t comfortable with doing 3 months ago or six months ago it is amazing. Because I continue to move forward and I didn’t quit and I got the support that I needed I can share what I have learned with you.

I will continue to push myself and that is what I suggest for you. Never allow yourself to quit, keep overcoming the challenges that you will face as they can only make you stronger. Stand firm in your discomfort and meet it head on. With that attitude, you will be unstoppable!