Fear of stepping outside your comfort zone?

We all want to have confidence in ourselves and the direction our lives are headed. And we all want to reach our full potential and feel fulfilled. It’s so frustrating that fear keeps us stuck. Doesn’t it make you feel even worse about yourself when you’re so scared that you don’t even try to go for what you want?

I recently coached a woman who immigrated to the U.S. She was so self-conscious about speaking English that she kept to herself and only spoke when she needed to communicate with others. Together, we came up with a plan to ease her way into socializing. Soon she was making friends and leading meetings at work.

I’m sure you’re wondering when you’ll overcome the fear so that you can achieve the result you’re looking for. The answer is, there will never be a time that you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone. You gain confidence by doing.

Here’s what you can do:

Mental fitness training and mindfulness practices are critical to quieting your inner critic. How can you move forward if you have a voice in you that does nothing but tear you down? At the same time, you need to take slow, incremental steps toward your goal so that getting there doesn’t seem overwhelming. In this client’s case, her first step was wishing a cashier a great weekend while checking out at the supermarket, then making small talk with co-workers, and so on.

Bottom Line:

You don’t have to make a giant leap to step outside your comfort zone. Small incremental steps will help you get to where you want to be. With each step, the next doesn’t seem so scary. A healthy mindset will give you the courage to take action. And from that action, comes confidence.