When asked to write this blog, my first reaction was complete intimidation. As Incite’s Administrative Assistant, blogging doesn’t constitute one of my normal day to day duties.

Why Is It So Terrifying?

This feeling always comes up whenever I have to do something out of the ordinary. In my experience at Incite, I see some of our clients react the same way when it comes to marketing. Either marketing is a new concept to them or Incite is recommending they consider an entirely new approach to it. Change is never easy and stepping outside our comfort zone often evokes feelings of fear and unease. But why?

The reasons are not always rational and likely very personal to each individual. Inside our comfort zone we feel safe and secure. As soon as we start to step outside, our anxiety mounts and we begin to feel stress. So, we typically retreat back to the safety of what we know. But that’s a problem.

Why Is It Important To Stretch Our Comfort Zone?

Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Much like Incite’s clients, we all want to grow. But to expect personal or professional growth while we remain tucked safely within our comfort zone is, according to Einstein, insane!

Stretching our comfort zone allows us to learn, grow and build confidence. Here are some tips to help get past the fear:

1. Accept The Challenge: Know and accept that stretching your comfort zone is going to be uncomfortable and challenging. There will be good days and bad days, but in the end taking on the challenge is the only way to achieve rewards.
2. Take Baby Steps: Break your challenge into small manageable steps and do them consistently until you have achieved your goal. Like a baby learning to walk, don’t be afraid to take a step, fall down, get up and try again until you get it right.
3. Be Reasonable: Challenge yourself to something that is somewhat of a stretch for your current skill set. As you gain more confidence, challenge yourself to increasingly difficult goals.
4. Get Some Support: Taking risks are less scary when we have people encouraging us. Surround yourself with supportive people and let them help. Much like a client coming to Incite to support them in their marketing, it helps to lean on someone as we tackle new challenges.

Whether you are a company seeking to grow, or an individual wanting to get more out of your life and career, we need to challenge ourselves and take risks. Things are only as scary as we make them out to be, and I can now safely say that writing a blog is no longer a fear for me.