Stand at the edge of your comfort zone

Welcome to Quick Confidence! This weekly letter delivers a spritz of stories, tips and simple actions that will build your confidence and your power. Each quick tip bolsters confidence in your body, mind, and relationships so you can lead yourself and others to greatness. 

As a distance runner, I really look forward to my runs. It's a great outlet for pent-up physical stress. And it's my favorite way to clear my mind.

The problem is, running is my only exercise. So when I recently got diagnosed with runner’s knee and my doctor cautioned me to take a long break from running, it stung! She encouraged me to try something else, like cycling or swimming, but stubbornly I resisted. I had my comfort zone of exercise, thankyouverymuch, and I wanted to stay in it! Maybe you can relate?

Your comfort zone is an interesting thing. In some ways, it makes you feel safe and protected. But as you grow to be more confident, the boundaries of your old comfort zone can start to feel restrictive. ...Like they’re cramping your room to grow. ...Like they're suffocating!

And we can pay a huge price for it.

If you want to grow your abilities and confidence, your comfort zone needs to keep expanding. Here's why: each time you make a bet on yourself by stretching what you can do, you get a little more comfortable with the unknown. When you do that, you put yourself in a position to take slightly bigger – and in some cases, much bigger (!) risks. 

Now is the time to climb higher - and to push what you think is possible for yourself. Sounds exciting, right!? Let’s explore 3 steps that will help you level-up your confidence and play BIG.

Quick Confidence Tips to Scale Your Confidence:

1. Embodied: Embrace the awkwardness. I want you to do a little body experiment with me. First, cross your arms. Now hold that pose for a moment. Great. Now, cross your arms the other way. Whoa — awkward, right? Did you feel uncomfortable in the second pose? Even though I basically asked you to complete the same action, it probably felt strange to move out of your comfort zone and try something different. As you take bigger and bigger risks, notice that twinge of awkwardness and support yourself through it. Next time you leave your comfort zone, instead of saying to yourself, “Yikes, this is weird and different,” you could say something more encouraging like, “Oh this is new. I’m going to learn something interesting today.”
2. Interpersonal: Identify the difference-maker. The next step is to acknowledge how scaling your comfort zone, in one specific way or area, will be critical to your success in interacting with others. If you improve generally at public speaking, for example, the result might be that you speak up and are seen more in large staff meetings at work. Or it may put you on a path to speak at a conference or event! Or if your goal is to be more confident around your teammates, you might see a payoff in sharing your ideas more often in team meetings, or in having better friendships with your teammates from being more outgoing. So, how will your change help you achieve success, interpersonally? 
3. Mindset: Discover your WHY. Identify one area where expanding your comfort zone could deepen your sense of personal purpose. As an example, this could be pursuing a new certification in your field so you can bring the latest solutions to the internal stakeholders you serve. Or it might be pursuing a graduate degree so that you can be an even better consultant to your clients - and influence important change. What is your WHY? And what's one way you could expand the bounds of your comfort zone to have *more impact*? Answering these prompts and making some new investments in yourself will only fuel your motivation.

As of today, I've experimented with 3 new kinds of exercise. Is it awkward to suddenly be a beginner at something? Yes. But unexpectedly, I now feel an odd sense of appreciation for my break from running...like I wouldn't have stretched my comfort zone and tried new things unless it happened.

Just like a successful company that can scale from 5 people to 500, you need a system for thinking bigger, too. By using the 3 steps we covered, you’ll give yourself a clear picture of the growth you want most and how it connects to the end results you desire. Once you're clear on those, taking action to fuel your success is much simpler. Remember, as you scale your goals, your comfort zone will expand. As for your confidence? Get ready to watch that scale too!

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