Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Welcome to another edition of my Weekly Journal! I use this space to share about my journey from lawyer to jewelry business owner. In this week's journal entry I am writing about getting out of your comfort zone. The fact of the matter is, if you want something different - whether that be a different career or something else - you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. The unwillingness to do so holds a LOT of people back. If you want to see something different show up in your life but you've seen no progress, maybe this is the little thing that's been holding you back.

What do they say the definition of "insanity" is again? Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result? Well that's kind of what it's like when you want to stay in your comfort zone, yet you want to see real change show up in your life. If you want to make a drastic change like I did - going from lawyer to jewelry business owner - you have to be willing to get a little uncomfortable. You have to be willing to strip yourself of your routine and try something new. I find that most people aren't willing to do this. And that's why they'll talk and talk and talk about switching careers or starting their own business, but they never make one inch of progress towards that goal. 

Listen, I hear you - a comfort zone is a comfortable, safe place to be. Especially these past few years when the world has felt strange and out of control. Having a routine keeps us feeling safe and sheltered from all the outside fears and worries and challenges. But it also robs you of potential, of joy, and of growth. We get one life on this earth, and do you want to be that person who spends more time watching Netflix than living life? I hate to be so blunt, but sometimes we need to hear it that way. Because, believe me, I hear from a lot of lawyers and other people who hate their career and want to do something really different like I did, but they complain that they can't find the time. I get really honest with them when I hear this and I say, if you can find two hours a night to watch Netflix, can you find 2 hours per week to research other career options or work on your new business idea? It's true, right? Unless you get really intentional about your time and how you spend it, you'll "feel" like you have no time, but what is really going on in the background is your unwillingness to get out of your routine and comfort zone. I remember seeing a meme a while ago that said something like, "You and Beyonce both have 24 hours in a day." Isn't that the truth! If you decide to spend 8 hours on Saturday watching Netflix, that's your choice, but please don't whine about how you feel stuck and don't have the time to make a career change or start a business. If you want to have something different, you have to be willing to do something different.

And it doesn't last forever! You don't have to live outside your comfort zone forever - just for a little time, while you make the change you desire. Soon enough after that, you'll find yourself in a new comfort zone. And chances are, that new comfort zone is going to be a lot more fun than watching Netflix. This brings me to my last point. When you hate your job (or whatever life circumstance you desperately want to change), we often find ourselves in a depressive state where all we can muster is the energy to watch Netflix. I get it. I've been there. Trust me I've been there. I was incredibly miserable back when I was a lawyer and I had zero energy in the evenings. If that's you too, you're going to have to be willing to also work on your mental health. Seeing a therapist (like I did) would be great and the most effective means, but you can start small with other things if you're not ready for that. Instead of turning on the TV at night, go for a short walk around the block or do yoga with a free video available on YouTube for 15 minutes. See how good that feels (trust me, you won't regret it). Pick up a new book you've heard has good reviews and promise yourself you're going to read for 15 minutes per night before you turn on the TV and zone out. It's these little efforts, these little changes that can really jolt you out of a routine. You might find yourself in love with a new book, or loving the way you feel more at peace when you go to bed if you do 15 minutes of yoga or go for a short walk after dinner, etc. It's these small choices - these adult choices (because sometimes we don't want to do what's good for us, but being an adult sometimes demands that) - that can set you on a new path forward. 

If you want to make a big change in your life but you've been feeling stuck, I wish you the courage to break out of your comfort zone and your routine! 

I hope you're able to learn something valuable from my own experiences. My wish is for everyone to know the feeling of doing work that brings them joy. It truly is an unbelievable gift to not dread Mondays and hope for Friday's fast arrival. If you'd like my Weekly Journal sent straight to your inbox every week, click here to subscribe.

P.S. Are you on Pinterest? I have a Weekly Journal board on Pinterest so you can easily navigate my journal entries. You can view and follow the board by clicking here. I've written so much about quitting my lawyer job to start g+h over the past few years and I want to make it easier for you to access and read the entries that resonate most!

xoxo,
Stacy