Dare to Expand Your Comfort Zone

One of the dominant themes running through my private practice as a coach this year has been the question of how to hold more success with greater ease.

More spaciousness.

More clients.

More money.

More time.

More fulfillment.

There comes a point in time when you have clearly outgrown the way you’ve been doing things. 

Though the clarity of this truth feels good, and can be incredibly liberating, the other side of the situation, what is still unclear or unknown, may feel terrifying to your nervous system.

I remember the moment when someone said to me:

“You’re ready to let go of the old way of doing business and embrace the new even if you have not built the path yet. Part of the work here is aligning with your future aspiration and letting it guide you as you step into the reality of it.”

It resonated through my entire being as true. And challenged every fiber of what I had known.

This crossroads of embracing uncertainty at the precipice of possibility is one I know intimately.

I never intended to own my own company or become a CEO. All I had was a vision of doing what I loved for a living full-time.

That vision has never wavered. Ever.

For sure there have been times when I questioned EVERYTHING, but the dream of being financially independent, free to do the work I love, and create real, meaningful impact in the lives of my clients has never faltered.

These are the people I support in my business coaching practice. 

They are hard-working, dedicated practitioners who have a vision for making the world a better place. They work intimately with their clients to help them heal and to create real life change and transformation.

There is a big difference between working harder and working smarter.

Being clearly rooted in your values and owning your convictions means you are ready to work smarter. If you are not anchored in the clarity of your own values and lack the confidence needed to sustain your own convictions, you end up working tirelessly to prove your worth.

Its hard to move past the things that challenge you when your measure of success is outwardly sourced.

Often what we find at the root of working harder is a mask for where we feel unworthy or undeserving of the things we long for. Including a belief that we will only accomplish more or deliver better work by working harder (and with more stress).

When the contrary proves more true… EASE is what opens the creative flow needed for your next level expansion.

When I feel inspired and clear it leads to better creative edges in the work I do with others. This requires learning what daily self-compassion feels like regularly, being in sync with your own creative process, and staying in touch with how the current vision for the work you do is guiding you.

As challenging as the world may be right now, may we remember we were made for these times. I feel inspired by the people who believe a better world is possible. And they are working for it. They are making it happen. One intentional step at a time.

So, how do we expand our level of success beyond where we’ve been? How do we get past our own upper limit? How do we begin to hold more (success, joy, freedom) with greater ease when we are already so very busy?

Here are some of my thoughts on this:

1. Get crystal clear about WHY you do what you do. There isn’t anything more important than to be clearly in touch with the intention you have for running your own business. Running your own business is different than doing what you love. Your purpose is what you love to do. Your business is the operating structure that helps make this possible. It takes a hell of a lot of courage to do this. Your Conviction and level of Commitment is paramount. How you weave the vision with the practicality of it all is an art form. Sometimes a moment of surrender happens here. When what you love to do has to take a back seat, so that you can focus your attention on what is needed most in your business right now. Working in your business vs. working on your business require different skills. When you are unclear about what drives you this is an indicator you need to come back to basics. Knowing your deeper WHY is what gets you through all the hard stuff.

2. Assess your business model regularly. Your business is an ever evolving process. It is a path of growing as an an entrepreneur and a leader in your own life. Have you chosen the right model of business for you? Have you chosen a framework that meets your needs as a practitioner and matches your values as a human being? Many practitioners whose needs are unique often feel they are trying to fit themselves into a space they don’t agree with. Many are unaware there are options to the way you run a business. I see this over and over again practitioners burning out, working so hard to exceed expectations, and still they feel stuck in a rut, underpaid, and overwhelmed. If this sounds like you, you may be at the end of the way you’ve been doing things. You may need to look at what’s not working anymore, stop reinforcing the patterns that keep you stuck, and find a new approach. Sometimes when you are in it you cannot see it. Notice if you keep running in the same circles and if you know deep down something needs to change ask for help and invest in dedicated support.

3. Know when to ask for and invest in support. Anyone who works for themselves knows how important it is to have support, to feel connected to others on a similar path, and be seen and heard in your truest longings. Your business does not grow in a vacuum. Find out what kind of support you need and reach out for feedback, get new resources, and get connected to the people who can help you build a real path to achieving your goals. If you are unsure look at the people around you who are doing what you want to be up to and get curious about how they take care to stay on top of it all. Most you will find have regular, dedicated support.

4. Do your inner work. Face your fears and embrace them as the pathway to even more courage. Concerns around self-worth and being seen (visibility) are probably the most common obstacles that show up when making big changes. Becoming self-aware of your own judgments and limitations is a huge part of the learning curve. Being your own boss means being in your leadership. Learning how to face your fears and embrace them without judgment is part of the process. Often what we find here is that what we long for the most - more time, more creative spaciousness, more quality time with family, more money coming in, more freedom - are things that compete with how worthy we feel of success. When you have outgrown your current level of success, the one you prayed for and strived for all these years, you’ll find there is a whole new set of beliefs challenging your ideas about what is possible.

5. Dare to expand your comfort zone. Dare to lead beyond what you have known. Inevitability your business will grow you past who you have been. It will ask you to step outside of what feels comfortable. Entrepreneurship is a path of leadership. It is a path that constantly stretches your ideas about what you think is possible. As you step out of your comfort zone to try new and different ways of doing things, you create the change cellularly. Your body gets it. The knowledge is passed down through the action of taking the step that both inspires you and terrifies a part of you. It doesn’t always make sense and when you release having to get it right you make space for surprising and wonderful outcomes. 

In support of all you are here to create,

Andrea

P.S. Are you questioning what is next for you? Is it clear to you that you have outgrown your current level of success? Are you ready to experience more freedom and ease as you expand into more?

Let’s connect and discover what next level of success looks like for you.