You ever wonder to yourself why someone won’t just leave a job, relationship, situation? It seems so obvious to you, right? Ummm, you’re clearly miserable. Pack your bags, put in your two weeks’ notice, start that business. I had those thoughts of others too. That is until I was the very one they were talking about. Five years into my secure, well-paying government job, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do it for 30 years. I knew that like I knew my name. However, I didn’t leave until after I’d been there for 11 years. Why did it take me so long, you ask? Well see, these people were like my family. They planned my wedding and baby showers. I’d worked with them since I was fresh out of college. They were familiar. I knew exactly what to expect from them and from the job. They were certain. Few things paralyze us like certainty. We say we have to save more money. We say that it’s not so bad. We say that it’s just not the right time. Truth is, it’s not really any of that. It’s the fact that this is what you know. It’s what you’re used to. It’s what you can do with your eyes closed. It’s what feels comfortable.
This has played out in SO many different ways in my life. A few years ago, when I started my fitness journey, I was taking hot yoga three days a week and seeing a personal trainer three days a week. I found myself enjoying the yoga more because I knew EXACTLY what each class would consist of. They were the same moves every time. I knew the move before the teacher made it. However, with the gym, I NEVER knew what was coming. One day we might be flipping tires and the next day we might be running up and down flights of stairs. It was scary and uncomfortable.
Funny thing though, what we don’t know at the time, even if we see it on memes and t-shirts, is that ONLY the new, different, unfamiliar stuff is what grows you. My body changed far more from those unpredictable moves at the gym than it did in yoga. My knowledge base grew by leaps and bounds by leaving that good government job and taking a chance on Corporate.
As you might have guessed, this is directly related to my business as well. It’s extraordinarily uncomfortable knowing how much I DON’T know in this business ownership thing. It’s what paralyzes me every time. And if you start that comparing mess and sprinkle in interactions with people who clearly have it figured out, you might not get out of bed. Part of keeping your motivation in those times is visualizing what it looks like on the other side. The growth, the joy, the strength gained from doing something you didn’t initially trust yourself to do. That kicks “certainty’s” ass every. single.time.
Shake your world up. Live your best life. Comfort Zones are for suckers.
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