My clients often tell me I have the ability “to make the most uncomfortable comfortable.”
There has been a lot of uncomfortable over the past 60-90 days, but I am confident this is not the only time you have felt ‘uncomfortable.’ Below are some tips to move closer towards comfortable.
GROW OR STAGNATE: We have all heard the term Growth Mindset, the ability to learn and develop skills regardless of your natural ability, through determination and hard work. But hard works sounds hard…keep the following in mind when you find yourself outside of your personal comfort zone:
- Be Curious: How else can you look at the challenge ahead? Flip it 180 degrees, what opportunity does it present for you? Ask questions of yourself and others to inform your next step.
- Celebrate Failure: I know this sounds odd, but if you do not take a risk and try something new you will never leave that place of uncomfortable. At least if you fail at something you tried, you learned something, even if it is to not do that again.
- Embrace Your Strengths: We all have them, that something that makes us comfortable and successful, use this superpower to your advantage. Ask three people for three adjectives to describe you on your best day, then use these adjectives to shift your mindset.
TAKE ONE STEP: When there is discomfort our inner voice can be very strong and limiting. Fear of the unknown can be very powerful, but you have the choice to feed that fear or quiet it.
- Breathe: Recognize you might be afraid. Take three deep breaths and put on your strengths superpower cape, you got this!
- Break it Down: When there is not a clear path ahead what are some of the pieces needed to get there? Stop when you reach five, more than five might overwhelm you. Once a few are in the rear-view mirror you can always add a few more. This is one part of agile methodology I love, iteration.
- What is one step you can take towards action? I am not talking about achieving the entire goal, I am just asking you to take the first step towards an action, so you do not hang out with your inner voice too long.
CELEBRATE: No matter how big or small, take time to celebrate your achievements.
- Take a moment to congratulate yourself, you did it! You moved forward and that is awesome!
- Share back with the three people who gave you adjectives, tell them how helpful it was. Embrace gratitude and thank them!
- Step away from the tasks at hand and take a walk, call a friend, write in your journal. Reward yourself with something that brings you joy.