Look around you. Does it feel safe? When did you last take a risk?
We mean a real risk, one with consequences, not like trying the new blend at Starbucks or risking a smiley emoji on the next work email.
It is so much easier to stay in the relative safety of a warm padded comfort zone then take the chance that something might just go wrong and the easiest possible response? Avoidance. Why make yourself feel uncomfortable if you don’t have to. Right?
Sadly. While this might work for you for the short term in the long run it’s not a great strategy. Doing something new, different, and perhaps even risky, is simply a part of the world we work in today. And without the skill and courage to take the leap, we can miss out on those opportunities for growth.
Here’s 3 top tips from us to boost your confidence to do it differently.
- Revisit those excuses!
Spend a little time looking back on the reasons and excuses you’ve used to not come out of your safe place. I don’t have time. It might go wrong? I might look silly. It’s easier to go with the flow. I don’t want to upset anyone. Sound familiar?
Would you accept these excuses for anything else? If your team gave them to you would you allow it? Often when we look back, we realise we’ve been taking the easy option, and if you always do, what you’ve always done, you can’t be surprised that you always get what you’ve always got.
- Don’t make one giant leap for mankind….try a baby step first.
It can feel way too intimidating to step outside the zone of safety and make a leap. We get it, sometimes the risks outweigh the perceived benefit. How about this, identify where you do sometimes make some growth, an area you do feel more comfortable to stretch yourself in and then just steal a little bit of that confidence, and use on a different topic. A baby step. No leaping, just testing the water and seeing that it could be worth the risk. If you see that it wasn’t as bad as you thought your brain will find this risk a little easier on round two. Keep working on it.
- Bite the proverbial bullet
For you to really step outside your comfort zone, you have to do it, even if it’s uncomfortable. And trust us, it will be! You need to dig deep and put some steps in place to force you to take the plunge. Let’s say you hate talking in front of others (there’s millions that do!). Think back to all those excuses, toss them aside, agree a baby step and postpone the giant leap and then bite the bullet and volunteer to share next months results ar the team meeting. A small step, lower risk, and lower chance of scaring you to death if it doesn’t work out. Everyone has to start somewhere and as the saying goes, nothing good comes from comfort zones.
If you need help with making changes, stepping outside your safe spaces or just getting something new off the ground then you can chat to us here.
