What’s Waiting for You Out In Your Courage Zone?

5 tips to Get Yourself Out There

How do you function best? Do you like to take action? Do you like to do research? Do you like to sit and think through how something will look before you leap? Me, I am an action taker. Most of the time it works out for me—it’s not always perfect, but I figure nothing is so 100 percent done that it cannot be tweaked even if it can’t be undone. This does not mean that I don’t have a plan of sorts or that I am jumping without any information. It just means I would rather GO than not go! What do I have to lose? I am one of those people that doesn’t hesitate so long that opportunities leave me behind. I am not afraid of the COURAGE ZONE.   Are you? Many times for people, fear wins over faith so that the courage zone is left out there as a place of mystery because the comfort zone is so safe.

If you are a bit afraid to leap, think about how you could grow or evolve if you were to take a chance. Most likely, fear of failure or even fear of success is keeping you from stepping out to the unknown unsafe space of the courage zone. But how do you know what’s out there and what could happen or how far you could go unless you TRY and TAKE A CHANCE? Here are some ideas of how to get yourself going:

1. It’s not too late! You must realize that you can always set out and take a risk. What have you been NOT doing because of fear? Even if it’s follow-up phone calls you haven’t made for months and months, it’s not too late.
2. Make a Plan and set an action.   To get out there, you must DECIDE, make a plan, and TAKE ACTION. You are still in the comfort zone if you haven’t implemented the plan you set forth. Let’s go back to the phone calls. If you make the list of people to call and you have what you want to say in mind, none of it does any good if you don’t PICK UP THE PHONE.
3. Commit and GO. Whatever it is you want to do to get out of your comfort zone and start taking a chance on courage, you must put it in your calendar. WRITE IT DOWN and FOLLOW THROUGH. This means that you make an appointment with that phone. You make an appointment to make your videos. You make an appointment with yourself to do whatever it is you’re setting out to do. You wouldn’t skip out on an appointment with someone, so don’t skip out on YOU and whatever it is you’ve set out to do.   COMMIT to yourself and that thing waiting for you in the courage zone.
4. Be willing to take responsibility. This is the” for better, for worse” section. When I say responsibility, I mean be ready to pat yourself on the back for a job well done and a chance well taken. AND, be ready to look at it from an analytical perspective and ask what you could have done differently so you’re ready to make it even better the next time.   What if it didn’t go well? You must still be willing to pat yourself on the back for getting out there and then get the feedback you need to do it differently.
5. Ask for support. Finally, be aware that you do NOT have to venture out to the frightening COURAGE ZONE alone. Find someone who is an encourager for you who will support you. Tell them what you want to do. Let them know when. Ask them to follow up with you to see how it went. Ask them for thoughts and feedback. And use them to decompress after you’ve done what you’ve set out to do. I have used strategists and coaches to help me launch into new territory. Yes, I paid them to guide me! But you don’t have to go that far. Who do you know that you respect as a colleague or expert who could be your support? Or, who could you hire that knows more about this new territory than you? The point is to find a way to have your support system right there with you.

If you set your mind to it and look toward the courage zone, follow these steps, and give it a shot, you will be at least one step closer to achieving more than you could have before. Take a chance! Your goals are waiting.

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