Gauri Chhabra
2014 gives way to 2015- and with it come a slew of New Year Resolutions. Well, you took quite a few last year too, and have been taking them year after year – to dissolve them by the middle of the year as you slide back into the normalcy of the cushy comfort. This year, try to be different. You take the resolution – to fight against the cushy comfort itself!
Comfort is the most killing of all.I’ve seen that one of the most damaging things you can do in your career is to stay for years where you’re comfortable. I’ve done it, and what often ensues is that you begin to doubt your value in the marketplace, and wonder if you really have the chops to succeed and thrive outside your current job. Over the years, I’ve realized that no job is secure. The only thing that is secure in life is you – your spirit, your heart, your talents and gifts, and your ability to contribute at a high level to something that matters to you in life. When you live from that knowledge and experience, you’ll find gainful, rewarding work no matter where you go, despite the turbulence and the doldrums around you.
And to do that, you need to continually push yourself out of your comfort zone. This can be daunting because it includes an element of risk. The people who do this successfully are able to make a tremendously positive impact and find even more opportunities to make a difference. This can create a fast track for accelerating their career trajectory. It is possible to be successful maintaining the status quo, but true differentiation is achievable only for those who are willing to dive into new areas. Think deeply about your own comfort levels in various situations – both at work and outside of work. You will observe that your natural instinct is to do what make you comfortable.
But, remember, if you follow the instinct, you would miss too much of your life, if you didn’t break through your lack of comfort.
Here are some steps to get out of your comfort zone and the critical benefits that come along to liberate and empower you. Promise yourself that you will take these steps as you stand at this curious cusp of the year gone by and the year to come:
Let go of the pressure of success:
We are so enamored by success and the desire to continually succeed that we cannot take and absorb failure.Nobody is perfect – don’t expect it and don’t long for it. Let go of that unnecessary pressure. As soon as you accept this you will find that you will lose the hesitation that has held you back in the past. You will learn to take risks where before you would have run. With risk comes the chance of failure, but more importantly, a chance of greatness. Failure is a given when you take risks, but the more you can embrace and learn from it, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Let go of the ‘hogging the limelight’ syndrome:
We all strive for it- the limelight. “I did amazingly well at the sales presentation- does the CEO know about it? What you do is noticed by others, whether you realize it or not. People are watching you, and what you do gives them an inspiring role model for growth and change. This applies not only at work, but at home with setting an example for your children. We all have a teacher or someone in our lives who unknowingly inspired and motivated us to do more than we thought we could. Taking risks and believing in yourself allows you to be that person for others.
So, let go of the race for hogging the limelight. Concentrate on the quality of what you do- and the light would be seen around you like a luminous halo.
Let go of regrets:
Last year, one of my friends came to me with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. She has a cushy job – but she wanted to start a venture of her own. She was pretty excited about her idea but was scared to take the plunge as in the initial stages, her new venture might not give her the money she required. The brutally honest piece of advice she got from me was-“Do not cross all the’t’s and dot the ‘I’s . That way you would never be able to take the plunge. Just go ahead and do it. Today, after a few initial hiccups she is running a successful e tailing site of her own. All this could happen when she let go of uncertainty. Had she held anything back she would have been left with regret and uncertainty about what shemight have been able to do had she just pushed herself. Regrets come when we wonder, “What if?” yet don’t act.
Don’t wonder – take the plunge.
Think of a ‘sobriquet’ for yourself:
We all have fancy titles that define us – CEO, CTO, Manager Operations… and so on and so forth. We strive to climb up the ladder in our career paths. This year- try something different- think of a name for yourself. How would you like to be remembered and associated with. You may come up with crazy names like- the idea factory, the curator etc but believe me- these are the real names that define the real you. This way you will define yourself authentically.Comfort is often defined by doing what everyone else does – conforming to norms and to the pressure around you.
The new sobriquet would make you push yourself into new areas you will have a chance to authentically then far freer to shape your career and your life as you truly want it.
Lose control over others, gain control over yourself:
All these years, you have bee trying to control others- your team your subordinates your circumstances. Yet nothing changed. Your bosses are the same and so are the team members. This year, gain control over yourself- your anger and your outburst of emotions. When you step out on your own path, you get to live and work on your own terms. Eventually you may be forced to break free of the limitations around you anyway, so take control now and become the one who sets the rules and initiates change.
Push the envelope:
If you have been trying to ‘fit in’ all your life, this year – break the shackles of conformity and normalcy. Those of us who’ve been forced to change understand that what is comforting is often not what is best for you. Leaving your comfort zone can create a tremendous feeling of euphoria and self-respect as you learn what you are truly capable of doing and creating, which is far greater and more expansive than you ever dreamed. Pushing past your limits helps you find the fulfillment, excitement, and meaning you have been searching for in all the wrong places.
If you never leave your comfort zone you are likely sabotaging your chances for lasting success and happiness. Don’t be afraid to try something new in any aspect of your life. You will find you are more resilient, capable and courageous than you once believed, and as you rise to these challenges, more exciting ones are waiting in the wings.
When was the last time you really wanted to try something but you shied away? Next time you find yourself hesitating, go for it. The reward and the lessons learned will be, without question, worth the risk.
So, as 2014 slithers past, brace yourself to break past the cushy comfort zone…this 2015…
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