Is this article the nudge you need to take a leap?
Is it the sign you were asking for that now is the time? Yes it probably is,
so take a deep breath and go for it - you're in good company!
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Stepping out of our comfort zones is difficult for
anyone regardless of gender, background or life circumstances. The older we get
the harder it is and that's because we've spent years decorating our comfort zones
exactly to our own limiting personal specs but if we're going to accomplish our
dreams then we have to bust out.
Coming up with reasons not to leave our comfort
zone is easy. We've all said things like, 'I don't have time' or 'I'm too old'
and the most common unspoken reason: 'What will other people think of me?'
The reality is there is no such thing as the
perfect time and putting our dreams first usually makes those around us
happier. And as far as what other people may think? Who cares! Sadly age is the
most common padlock used to keep us safely locked within our comfort zones. But
ask yourself this: in five years from now will you look back on your decision
not to chase your dream with pride or regret? We both know the answer to that
question.
Age is not a liability; age is an asset that one
can only earn through years of life experiences that total up to the golden
nugget of wisdom. Wisdom must not be confused with reservations born from
failures and fears.
We are supposed to have failures and setbacks; they
teach us gratitude and appreciation.
So back to that comfort zone and how to bust
through the barricade keeping you in there. There are a few things I would like
you to keep in mind as you go through the process. Once you take that step
outside of your comfort zone you're going to experience stress, anxiety and
setbacks, that's what scientists call the performance zone. And it's during
these times that some of us shrink back into our comfort zones but if we can
soldier on and stay in that performance zone despite this eventually we're
going to end up in this place called the magic zone - where anything and
everything is possible i.e. where your dreams become reality.
And that is why it's imperative to step out of our
comfort zone because a life of trying is better than a life of regrets.
So how do we do this?
1. Identify
your comfort zone so you know when you are slipping back into it.
2. Embrace
the unknown and accept that anxiety, self-doubt and fear accompany movement
from the comfort-zone, it's OK to feel those things so don't beat yourself up,
instead rejoice because you are in the performance zone!
3. Visualize
the END result of your dream: a published book, a role in a film, flying an
airplane, a new career, a diploma, re-entering the dating world. The important
thing is to feel the end result because that will keep you going in times of
doubt. If you can feel it then you can do it.
4. Take
small steps because they lead to big things. If you want to write a book then
start by taking a writing course or write an article and submit it to local
newspapers.
5. Do your
research but don't let it fuel your fears. Sometimes our fears will use our
research to justify all the reasons not to do something - silence them by...
6. Confronting
your fears. When I was writing my first book I had a whole lot of doubts and
fears - especially when those rejection letters started pouring in! But I knew
I had to keep sending out book proposals so in order to silence my fears I listed
them on a big piece of paper then took it outside and burned it thus releasing
them so they were no longer paralyzing my creativity.
7. Make
your bucket list a to-do list. Seriously. This is the only shot we have at life
because there is no such thing as the 'perfect time' and tomorrow is not a
guarantee for any of us.
And if you're still thinking you may be too old to
try something new or if you think you've had too many failures to keep trying
then think about how different these people's lives would be if they allowed
something so trivial as age or failure hold them back:
1. Martha
Stewart went through a major career change in her 30s that resulted in her
multi-billion dollar empire Martha Stewart Living.
2. Julia
Child didn't learn to cook until she was 40 and launched her cooking show when
she was 50.
3. Stan
Lee was 43 when he brought Spider-Man to life in comic books around the world.
4. Colonel
Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken when he was 66 - after he went bankrupt.
5. Laura
Ingills WIlder began writing as a columnist in her 40s - she wrote the Little House books in her 60s.
6. Mr.
Peter Roget wrote and published the first ever Thesaurus at the age of 73.
7. I made
my own major career change at 37 years old. I turned down a great job offer to
sit at the head of a company and signed up to volunteer in Africa instead. The
average age of a volunteer was 21. I was so far out of my comfort zone it was
nowhere in sight. This experience led to me writing my first book at 38 years
old - it would be published one year later at the ripe old age of 39. Had I let
something as inconsequential as age hold me back I'd have never met my life
long dream of being an author.
So saddle up, knock down the barricades and go
catch your dreams, at the very least you're in for one heck of an adventure!
Melissa
Haynes is the author of Learning to Play with a Lion's
Testicles: A South African expression that means learning to take chances.
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