Preparing for the New Year
What possibilities might you create for yourself?
As I write, I want you to know that this message comes to you with no personal attachment to the outcome.
Yes, I am a coach, It is my life’s purpose to share a message of love, hope and purpose to all who will listen, and to provide direct support to those who ask and are willing to receive. Whether you choose to coach with me, to coach with someone else, to wait or to never work with a coach at all, is entirely your choice.
I do consider it my responsibility — my mission — to gently point out that you cannot create a new reality for yourself without stepping into what I now know as the “discomfort zone”.
Anything is possible. Everything is possible. You create those possibilities by your choices. Sadly, most of the choices we make are unconscious.
Change comes to those who take risks and who do something differently than they have done before.
Many of us have heard the expression, “What would you choose if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Have you ever truly reflected on this question? What risk does the answer require of you?
Taking a different action than you are used to will make you feel uncomfortable, unsure, and uncertain much of the time. It’s easy to doubt the resonance of this strange feeling and then to wonder why you don’t feel more positive. Intellectually, you think you know how to react, right?
The truth is, the discomfort can contribute to avoidance of the powerful choice that could change your life. Because you are uncomfortable when you consider stepping up, you become paralyzed, disempowering yourself. Even though staying the same feels safe and calm, this condition does not support your personal growth and self-development. Eventually, you begin to feel stuck, stalled and even worse, you feel like a failure because “nothing ever seems to change”, and the “ferriswheel goes ’round and ’round”.
Use journal prompts to make choices and take action.
- If I don’t make this choice now/take action now, how much will my life and my business be impacted?
- What will my life and my business look like in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months if I don’t take this new action/make this choice or consistently practice to shift/alter my mindset?
- Do I believe that if I receive the support I am asking for that I can/will use it to positively create change? And if I don’t yet believe that, what will it take for me to really feel like I can or will?
- What support do I need to get from where I am now to where it is I want to be?
- What value am I placing on positively changing my current condition? What am I trading for my happiness? What is avoiding and stalling costing me?What price am I putting on my happiness?
- What am I measuring my happiness against? Is that real/true?
- If I am considering an investment in myself, what limits have I placed on my willingness to uplevel?
- And, if I lack confidence in my ability to put my investment to good use, and I feel like I need to see evidence that my investment and effort will pay off, what steps am I willing to take to test myself?
- What test will I have to pass in order to give myself permission to take the next leap of faith?
- Do I need someone to hold me accountable to myself so I can implement the changes I am seeking?
And lastly, ask yourself, “what am I holding on to that is giving me this false sense of security? What am I afraid will happen if I let go of whatever that is?”
Celebrate being in the Discomfort Zone!
Can you describe your discomfort zone? Do you know when you’re in it?
When you can feel that uncomfortable sensation coming up when you’ve pushed yourself a little further than you typical might, you’ve entered the discomfort zone. I’m not inviting you to scare yourself to death, or do something crazy. I’m simply inviting you to stretch a bit. And when you do, instead of retreating, I hope you will congratulate yourself for having the courage to stay with it. Remember, this sensation is a sign that you are on the right track moving ahead, rather than a signal to back up, slow down or stop.
Please share your experience with the “Discomfort Zone” in the comments below. Someone reading this post will find comfort in knowing she is not alone.
Together we will live our dreams as we choose them!