Jump Out of Your Comfort Zone

I bet you that you’ve been told more times than you can count to try something new and step out of your comfort zone.  Am I right?  Especially when we were kids and teenagers.  However when we are adults we don’t hear it that much...unless we’re saying to a kid!  But guess what, the saying never dies.  We should always be searching for ways to step outside of our comfort zone.

Humans are a creature of habit.  It is one thing that make us great, but it also limits us in many ways.  Think about it.  Do you have a specific parking spot?  Do you use certain phrases without even thinking about them when talking with people?  What about only ordering certain foods at a restaurant because that’s what you’ve always done?  I’m challenging you to take a leap of faith this week and consciously break some of these habits.  Whether it is something small like parking in a different parking spot, picking different food, or saying something different to a person.  While these are small things, there are much bigger ones.  What about your health? How love life?  Are you just going through the motions.  I challenge you really think about parts of your life you think could be better.  Then instead of running on autopilot, make a conscious decision to try something new.  Say something different, try something new.  Maybe a friend invited you to go to a workout.  Join them!

Obviously you’ll want to keep it polite and legal.  I’m not giving you permission to break the law, but step outside of your comfort zone and give something new a whirl.  You never know, it can become one of your new favorite things!

Discovering your Strengths

What are your strengths?  It’s no secret that playing to your strengths can help you be successful.  Everyone is good at something and struggles in other aspects of their life.  The trick is figuring out what you are good at and doing more of that and either delegating the other parts you’re not so good at to other people or working to improve them.  

What about if you don’t know what your strengths are?  How can you find out?  There are two relatively easy ways to figure them out.  The first way is for you to sit down and reflect.  Think about your job, activities, hobbies, family life, and everything you participate in.  Write down everything that you think you do well.  It could be everything from consoling a family member, to swinging a sledge hammer, and everything in between.  When you have a number of items listed, then break them down even more.  What makes you good at them? Are you strong, do you listen well, can you type fast, etc.  These are your strengths.  Then think of the parts of your life that are difficult.  What things do you struggle with.  This list is usually easier for people to come up with.  Don’t hover over it, just write them down and move on.  You can break these down into items you can delegate to other people and ones you can improve.  Then figure out who you would delegate them to and/or how you will improve those parts of your life.

The second way to learn what your strengths and weaknesses are is to ask a trusted family member and coworker.  Doing it this way may be a little harder to hear, especially for your struggles, but that’s ok.  You are asking a trusted family member, friend, or coworker with the goal of delegating some of them and learning to improve the others.  Make the same list as you would if you sat down and thought about them and break them down.  

Now doing this is great and will make you aware of your strengths and weaknesses, but it won’t do you a lick of good if you don’t do something about it.  As already mentioned, you delegate or work to improve your weaknesses.  For your strengths, play to them.  Do them more often, focus on utilizing them to their full potential, and share them with the people around you.  Not only will you feel great sharing your talent, you will get more accomplished and move farther along in your career.

I’d love to hear your strengths!  Please post them in the comments below!

Be an Eagle and see the Forest and not just Trees.

Life has a way of getting you so wrapped up and crazy busy that you can lose sight of the big picture.  It becomes extremely easy to get lost in the details.  When this happens, you need to take a step back, breath, and look at the big picture.  You need to regain your eagle vision. Don't get lost by looking at a tree but instead see he forest! How do get it back?  Try these 3 easy steps:

1. Breath.  That’s right, just breath.  Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.  Focus on slowing down your breathing and inhale and exhale slow and steady.  
2. Take off your shoes.  You can leave your socks on or not, it’s up to you but stand up.  As you inhale curl your toes in. (even better if you are on carpet) When you exhale, stretch your toes out.  
3. Lastly, close your eyes.  When you are breathing and curling your toes let your mind go.  Let any tense or stressful thoughts go.  Clear your mind and focus on you.  When you feel centered, slowly start to expand your thinking to your goals and more importantly to your why.  Ignore the individual tasks just focus on your why.

Regain your eagle vision and continue on towards your goals and dreams!

Tracking your way to Success!

Track it!  Just like a business tracking their expenses and income track your behaviors.  If you want to improve and/or reach a goal.  Make a list of 1-3 small tasks you can do each do to help you achieve your goal and improve.  Then, track it!  Make a checklist and every time you complete one task, check it off!  Do this everyday and you will see that what you are successful with and areas where you struggle.  Then make the changes necessary to keep you on track and headed toward goal, and continue to track.  If you don’t want to end of off course, check in daily and make sure you are headed in the right direction.  It’ll take a matter of seconds, so why wait!  Go track and get closer to your goals and dreams!

Want to reach your dreams? Persevere!!!

Life will knock you down. The world may seem to conspire against all your efforts and goals.  Don’t let that make you give up and stop.  This is where you WHY becomes extremely important because it will help you stay determined and ready to push yourself.  Pick yourself back up, shake of the dust, and keep pushing, getting closer to your goals.  And you may stumble again, and maybe even face plant, but again, pick yourself up, and go after it.  If you why is strong, go after your goals.  Each time you get up you are a stronger person and will be even closer to your goal.

Don't know how to create your why? Click here for some help. Find your WHY!

Rep, Rep, Rep

Do it again, and again, and again, and again.  It can seem monotonous at times but keep going, keep pushing yourself.  If you want to achieve your dreams and goals, make sure you repeat the tasks needed and check in.  Will it seem boring at times, yes, but keep going.  Mix it up and change it up a little bit to keep life interesting but always keep your goals in mind and complete the tasks needed to get closer to them.  Just like a bodybuilder who wants to bulk up, rep, rep, rep.  

There will be days that you want to give up and slow down.  Don’t fret and don’t stress over it.  Everyone feels that way at some point, and usually multiple times!  But what set’s the successful people apart from others, they didn’t let those days stop them.  They kept pushing ahead, and did what they needed to get closer to their goal.  

Rep, Rep, Rep.  Again, Again, Again.  Keep pushing, you will get closer to your dreams, so keep pushing!

What is your WHY?

 Why do you want to be successful?  Why do you want to get ahead in life?  Why are you reading this? (To help you find the answer hopefully!) Why is a small word but can have a profound impact on your life.  If you can reveal and understand your why for doing something, you be much more successful attaining it.  Whether your hope is to get fit, join a team, have a better relationship with your loved one, earn more, etc.  Whatever you want to become better in, discover the reason why you want to be better at it.  What’s the driving force?  When you know what it is, write it down and put it someplace you see often to be a visual reminder.  Remember that your why isn’t a goal, it’s the reason why you set that goal.  So sit down, think, and discover your WHY.  Write it down, put it in a place you will see it daily, and get closer to your dreams!