Kelly Summersett: Life Coach for Professional Women

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Comfort is killing you so stop it!

Getting out of your comfort zone helps you to do less of what isn’t really comfortable anyway.

Let me explain with this example:

You have a career that you really don’t like and you complain about it all the time yet ironically you’re comfortable in it because it’s what you know. You’re nervous about putting yourself back out into the job market because it seems scary and unknown –– it feels out of your comfort zone.

That’s backward thinking. How comfortable are you when you dread going to work each day? Surely not very. That sounds like the total opposite of comfort to me.

Yeah, brushing up your resume and getting back into the networking scene is a new pattern but what’s the point of making up all kinds of fearful thoughts about it?

Finding a career that truly suits you and brings you to life is a very happy and truly comfortable way to live.

Here’s my personal story relating to fear and comfort zones: 

We just got back from a vacation to Cape Hatteras and fishing was big on our itinerary. Do you know how many years of my life I’ve spent being afraid of fishing?

ALL of them.

And when you’re scared of something (staying in your ‘comfort’ zone) you make up a lot of horrendous stories about it in your head –– which makes the whole thing even worse.

Being in your comfort zone is very, very uncomfortable.

But I said to hell with that on this trip. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and face my 49 years of fish fears and do you know what didn’t happen?

I didn’t pass out, throw up, scream on top of my lungs, or even die. Yeah, those were the stories I always made up about what would happen.

So many amazing things shift when you decide to move past your pseudo ‘comfort’!

  • You come to life!

  • You accomplish more

  • You’re much happier and healthier

  • You’re more creative

Want to give it a try? Want to do an experiment that helps you expand your comfort zone and shrinks your fears?

Get out a piece of paper (or your computer) and write down as many things as you can think of that you’re afraid to do — big and small. Keep writing for one minute.

(Some examples are speaking up to your boss (spouse/parent), eating sardines, riding a roller coaster, applying for a new job, speaking to a group of people, asking for a raise, picking up dog poop, taking a new class, or even taking a fish off a hook ;))

Now pick one, take a deep breath, and DO IT! Do it today or schedule it in for this week but commit and DO!

I promise doing the actual thing isn’t as bad as the hours, days, or even decades you’ve spent making up horrendous stories (and being uncomfortable) about it.

Wanna know another amazing payoff?

Your comfort zone expands and you start creating more and more positive evidence pointing to the fact that you really do have the guts to play bigger in your life!

This makes it easier to do the next thing on your list and then the next!

P.S. Notice I’m wearing gloves in this pic. Baby steps. Baby steps  Remember baby steps are still steps and they’re still moving you into a life that feels more alive!


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