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Attitude #4: Comfort Zone-Stretch It

As two caterpillars were returning from a day of fun in the sun, they noticed a beautiful butterfly overhead. One caterpillar looked at his friend and said, Gosh, look at that. Youd never get me up

there.

This classic comfort-zone syndrome is familiar to most of us. We go through life living within our limited range of experiences, our comfort zone, hesitant to explore new experiences and venture into the discomfort zone. The discomfort zone is unfamiliar territory outside of our existing inventory of experiences. A comfort zone includes life experiences that feel natural, safe, and normal to us. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

To further our understanding of the comfort zone we must discuss our subconscious minds. No doubt you have some awareness of the workings of your subconscious, as hundreds of books discuss the subject. My interpretation of the subconscious mind is that it represents an inventory of all our life experiences, a warehouse full of perceptions, beliefs, and self-images. Our subconscious mind is our comfort zone.

All our conscious thoughts and daily experiences, positive or negative, contribute to the building of our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind thinks in pictures. We become what we see. If we think failure, we get it. If we think success, we enhance our chances of achieving it. Henry Ford said it best, Whether you think you can or cant, you are probably right. Our subconscious minds impact on our behavior is so all-embracing that it becomes the single biggest barrier to growth, to stretching. Our subconscious rules! We minimize stress and anxiety when we act within what is appropriate to our subconscious. If we see ourselves as losers, then we are. But as Zig Ziglar says, Failure is an event, not a person. Remember that.

Most of us are risk averse-we are constantly searching for security, content to live within our established comfort zones. These life experiences or behaviors have been repeated for a long time; we take comfort in the predictability of the outcome. We respond within our established repertoire of behaviors-our comfort zone. Stretching our comfort zone involves embracing a totally new activity, something never before experienced: bungy jumping, skydiving or, for some of us, making cold calls! It must be a totally new adventure, never before experienced, to qualify as a stretch. Im not talking about going to a new restaurant-that doesnt cut it as a stretch. As the saying goes, even a turtle has to stretch its neck out to get ahead.

Venture into the Discomfort Zone

Top achievers realize that growth comes only by setting goals that require them to stretch their comfort zone. Yes, stretching adds an element of risk. It seems a lot of people dont understand that the rewards come after the risk, not the other way around. To experience the rewards of life, we must pay up front. Interestingly enough, we never know when we will be rewarded, but the rewards do come. Those who dont invest up front always search for the easy way, convinced that it exists. Dont go through life picking only the low-hanging fruit.

As children we are always exploring, taking risks and trying new adventures. Unfortunately as we age, we become more rigid in sticking within our comfort zone. If we inadvertently venture into the discomfort zone, or we are forced into it, we immediately attempt to recoil back into our comfort zone. We cocoon ourselves in our comfort zone, protecting ourselves against possible failure or embarrassment.

Successful sales entrepreneurs are not necessarily more competent, but they do look for ways to grow and stretch. They willingly expose themselves to new things by venturing into the discomfort zone. Use your comfort zone to rest in, not to live in. Use it to consciously relax and reenergize as you visualize performing your next challenge.

Take a piece of paper or even at the bottom of this page write down the last time you willingly experienced a stretch. Give it some thought. Drawing a blank? Dont feel bad, most people do. Note that I said willingly, not accidentally. On a personal note, I would like to share a story where I stretched my comfort zone. I went skydiving. I climbed to 11,000 feet and jumped out. It was a tandem jump where the jump master was strapped onto my back and he had the parachute. The two things I liked best about my tandem jump were freefalling for a full 60 seconds at 125 mph-wow! and the jump master



assuring me he was anxious for a successful jump as well. You see, sometimes life itself presents us with challenges that take us out of our comfort zone, forcing us to experience new things. It may be a spouse, parents, boss, or sales manager forcing us to stretch. Dont be like our caterpillar friends and wait around to experience a forced stretch. With that thought let me ask you two provocative questions;

1. When was the last time you did a first time?

2. How old are your stories? (Ouch!)

You may not like the answers but your customers expect you to be interesting as well as interested. Venture out and get some new material.


Tim Commandment #2

Use visualization and SMART goals to stretch yourself. Ask: What is/was my stretch for the month?

How To StrHethods

I offer two strategies on how to stretch your comfort zone. Some stretches are planned, others are spontaneous (unplanned/impromptu).

1. Planned. Plan to engage in a new activity. I will set a goal to do X by the end of the week. This gives you time to prepare and visualize your success.

2. Spontaneous. See an opportunity and go for it. Dont wait around thinking about it or hoping it will come back another day.

I like to be spontaneous, although I did plan the skydiving. I Just Did It! Another suggestion is to experience mini-stretches to start, slowly building your confidence to stretch. Dont feel you have to jump out of an airplane tomorrow.

Let me share another real-world example of how the Just Did It! attitude coupled with SMART goals worked in harmony to achieve the desired result of stretching the comfort zone. While facilitating a customer service seminar, I used the example of bungy cord jumping as a classic comfort-zone stretch and asked if anyone had experienced it. The only response was from Lawrence, aka Slim. He said he intended to do it but was too broke (using the financial angle to procrastinate). A bungy jumping facility was available only minutes away. My cofacilitator agreed it would be appropriate to take Slim and the group on a little field trip. The rest of the group and I kicked in the cash required for Slim to make the jump.

Slim jumped willingly. He Just Did It! It was great to watch discomfort of discipline in action. Within two hours of Slims mentioning he wanted to do it we removed the barrier and he did it. We returned to the seminar and of course Slim didnt learn a darn thing the rest of the day. He was bug-eyed and as high as a kite, intoxicated by his new experience. He got the T-shirt (and the video). He couldnt wait to share his new experience with his wife and friends. He was so proud to say, I Just Did It! The same type of opportunities are open to you.

What makes experiencing a stretch so attractive is that my informal research suggests that approximately 90% of the time people respond to their new experience by saying, Wow, that was great. Id do it again. Most people do it again because the next time is simply repetition, replacing the initial fear with enjoyment. What Slim and countless others have learned is this: Fear dissolves by way of participation. There is no other way. Nonparticipants live with fear, anxiety, stress, and well-rehearsed excuses. This baggage spills into your career, eroding your enthusiasm, your drive, and your commitment. There are no limitations to the frequency of stretching and experiencing new things. All you need is permission from yourself. My next personal comfort-zone goal is scuba diving. I dont feel particularly comfortable under water but its something I plan to pursue. My son Stephen is a certified scuba diver and he tells me, Its awesome. After all I have a 90% chance of enjoying it.

Team LiB

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