HOW GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE IN BUSINESS CAN CREATE SUCCESS
By Gillian Devine – Success Mentor to Photographers & Brand Photography Expert
HOW GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE IN BUSINESS CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE SUCCESS
YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Getting out of your comfort zone. What does that even mean?
It’s something I talk about a lot, and it’s always something I support the photographers and business women I mentor in. It’s also something I strive to do every day if I can. But what does it actually mean? Where did the saying come from, and how can we use this action to help us in life and business?
As a professional photographer of 15 years, and a mentor and coach to other photographers and business owners, there have been many times that I have had to push myself, stretch myself, and do things that I felt nervous and uncomfortable about to grow and succeed. For me it means that I have achieved dreams and targets that I would not have achieved if I had played safe and comfortable and enabled my procrastination.
I talk about ‘getting out of your own way’ alot myself and I teach it in my mentoring programmes for photographers and business owners. Our comfort zone is a behavioural space where your activities and behaviour fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk. We would all rather try and avoid stress and worry, so it would make sense that we stay in a state of comfort. A state of comfort means we know what to expect, there are no surprises, we feel in control and able to manage. Being in our ‘comfort zone’ provides a state of mental security, so there’s no anxiety, there’s no stress. You are comfortable, in the normal everyday patterns and routines.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
The original idea of a ‘comfort zone’ goes back to an experiment in psychology. Back in 1908, two psychologists, Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, explained that a state of relative comfort created a steady level of performance. But in order to maximise performance we actually need to have a relative state of anxiety.
It’s much easier to remain within the boundaries of where you feel comfortable, than it is to face the fear of venturing beyond them. But by limiting yourself to what you already know, you’re likely missing out on professional opportunities, life experiences, and personal growth.
By pushing ourselves to be a little bit uncomfortable, that’s actually when our productivity levels and performance are maximised. It’s when we get our best results.
So it’s actually when you get out of your comfort zone, you take those actions that make you a little anxious and stressed, that you begin to grow and develop and get closer to achieving your dreams.
We all have actions in our life and business that we know will help us, will progress us, but we are putting them off because they make us feel uncomfortable. In business particularly, doing that live or video, writing that pitch email, having that sales conversation, putting your prices up or even charging what you are worth in the first place. Sometimes there are things that will push us to be uncomfortable but there is no doubt that they will help our business’s grow.
WHEN THE UNCOMFORTABLE BECOMES COMFORTABLE
You can recognise that what was at one time uncomfortable for you, becomes the norm when you have done it a few times. Think about when you jump into a swimming pool for the first time, it may be chilly, and take your breath away and is definitely a little comfortable. But once you have been in there for a while, its becomes more comfortable. The famous saying…”its ok once you are in!” We can take this saying and apply it to all the business actions that we need to take to grow and progress.
We could even use this as a visualisation to help us move into our uncomfortable but productive state. Imagine yourself at the edge of the pool. You know it’s going to be a little cool, and you may be fearful of jumping in, but stand there, brace yourself, count yourself down, hold your breath and go for it!
Feel yourself sailing through the air , feel that freedom, that excitement, you have made the decision to take that action and there is no going back. But you know, its going to be oh so good on the other side. You will rise up to the surface, a little breathless but feeling exhilarated and proud of your achievement.
THE FEELINGS ARE THE SAME
What I have also noticed is that the same feeling you get when you are about to stride out of your comfort zone, those tummy butterflies, that feeling in your chest. They are actually the same physical feelings you get when you are excited about something. So let’s use that similarity, and change the way we think. When you feel this way, tell yourself you are excited and your fear will become much less powerful. Feelings are simply programming and it’s completely in our control to change our feelings by simply changing the way we think.
For me, a great example would be doing lives and videos on my social media. When I first started doing live videos I was a complete nervous wreck. I stuttered, mumbled, said the wrong thing and it was definitely out of my comfort zone. Today, lives feel more comfortable and normal to me. I feel more confident in my business because of pushing myself to do them, and I have definitely achieved more success in my business because of it…my £26.5K launch was delivered entirely based on lives to my audience! Now if that’s not worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, I don’t know what is!
For you, it may be something as simple as having video calls with your clients instead of telephone calls. There is something so powerful about being able to see a person’s face, see their expressions and mannerisms, as well as hear them, and it enables your connection to be much deeper with your client, to grow the relationship even further.
It may even be simply saying yes to a job that you were nervous to say yes to, because you felt you weren’t ready or doubted your ability.
So I would love you to spend a few minutes and list out all of the actions that you could take in your business or life that would take you out of your comfort zone, but that you know would be of benefit and help you grow and succeed. Then set yourself deadlines of when you are going to take yourself out of your comfort zone.
LET’S GET UNCOMFORTABLE TOGETHER
Here are a few simple ideas to help you push your limits and achieve your dreams…so getting uncomfortable doesn’t have to be the ordeal it once was.
1. Take the first step
“In theory, all you need to do is to take the first step. It will be difficult. The first day at the gym is the worst. The opening line of your story takes the longest time. But as you gain momentum, it is easier to keep moving.” — Deepak Mehta
2. Don’t pick the safe choice
“Every time you’re making a choice, one choice is the safe/comfortable choice, and one choice is the risky/uncomfortable choice. The risky/uncomfortable choice is the one that will teach you the most and make you grow the most, so that’s the one you should choose.” — Karen X. Cheng
4. Say yes
“Say yes even when you don’t think you’re ready. … If you are working, say yes to new projects, new assignments, new roles — even when you have not done it before. It opens up huge opportunities in your career. Who knows — you might find yourself enjoying something you never got the chance to explore earlier.” — Corrine Lin
5. Be impulsive
“Eliminating the need of mulling over a decision greatly boosts the process of stepping out of our comfort zones. Plus, snap decisions instill a feeling of self-trust. So, ‘just do it.'” — Shivee Gupta
6. Do something that frightens you everyday
“New mindset. It goes like this: Does this scare me? Then lets pretend it excites me instead. Feel the fear and do it anyway”
Reading Recommends
5 Second Rule – Mel Robbins
You are a Badass – Jen Sincero
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway – Susan Jeffers
Want to know more
Are you a photographer or a business owner that would like to know more about creating a sustainable, successful and profitable business? Then sign up for my free guide to £6k months right here: www.gilliandevine.com
