Is it Time for an Adventure?

As I sit and write to you, I realise that I’ve been writing these monthly newsletters for just over a year. Thank you if you’ve been reading them all. I hope you find them helpful.

When I became a personal trainer and yoga teacher, my intention was to help people lead healthier and happier lives. However whilst battling health issues, I wasn’t able to send these letters out regularly – and I became somewhat lost on this journey, and gave up. Having found ways to manage my health, I was eventually able to restart and focus on being the best that I can be for my clients as well as providing useful tips for my readers. 

So I thought I’d talk about taking opportunities and getting out of one’s comfort zone, as it ties in with my plans in Malaysia next month. 

In a few days I’ll be leaving London, leaving my own comfort zone, to embark on an exciting opportunity for a travel show in Malaysia.

The next part of my journey gets me so far out of my comfort zone, a place I have only imagined up until now. I still don’t really know what I’m getting myself into, but I’m hoping with this life-changing opportunity I will be able to reach more people and spread the wellness word.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience.” In other words, we grow and become our best selves when we take advantage of new adventures. 

Somehow I know facing my fears will only make me more confident and inspired. One thing I know is that, if I don’t take this opportunity I will regret it. I don’t want to look back and say I was too afraid. Life is short! 

As Neale Donald Walsch once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

Leaving your comfort zone and starting a new journey can be daunting. For any journey, you need to be able to reach your destination in order to achieve a goal. However, you may not anticipate the rough waters ahead. Stepping out of your comfort zone may be paralysing to some, since there is a level of anxiety associated with uncertainty.

Let’s take a look at a few steps we can take to get out of your comfort zone.  

1 – Educate Yourself 
Anxiety usually comes from a fear of the unknown. Usually we imagine the worst-case scenario of what could happen when we push past the boundaries of what makes us feel safe.

To break through your comfort zone, you need to educate yourself. Find out more about the skill or activity you’re pursuing.

Information is power. The more you know about something, the less scary and more powerful you’ll feel, and the less likely you are to “catastrophise”.

2 – Create A Plan
After educating yourself, create a plan of action for pushing the boundaries on what you think is possible. 

Write down a step-by-step blueprint for how you’re going to get out of your comfort zone. Start with the easiest thing to do. Then create a plan to get to each level.

It’s important to identify the key challenges you’re going to face and what you’ll do to overcome them. 

3 – Hold Yourself Accountable
Accountability is another key to breaking through your comfort zone. Tell your friends and family about what you’re trying to do. 

This is important because the people in your life will keep you on track. You want them to give you that ‘push’ as you’re pushing your boundaries.

4 – Take Baby Steps
Breaking out of your comfort zone starts with the first step. Once you have a plan in place you’ll simply start with that crucial initial action.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once wrote, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Taking ‘baby steps’ is a great way to de-sensitise yourself to the feelings of anxiety. You’re not trying to become an overnight success. Instead you’re steadily pushing the boundaries of your comfort levels and working towards an overall goal.

5 – Remain Positive
There will be times when you experience a negative outcome. Something that shakes your confidence and makes you feel scared. The trick is to not let anything prevent you from blasting past the point of comfort.

Recognise that you will have negative outcomes. It’s a natural part of the process. Always remember your end goal, hiccups along the way are part of the journey.

6 – Keep Pushing Boundaries 
Even if you arrive at your stated goal it’s important to keep pushing those boundaries. Look for new challenges. Find stuff that you never imagined you would do.

Stepping out of your comfort zone requires you to extend your personal boundaries in order to create a fulfilling life. Don’t let anxiety prevent you from doing what you truly want. Attack your fears!

Those successful people whom you look up to, have pushed past their comfort zone in order to reach their current level of mastery. They broke through many a glass ceiling to create a new way of life and similarly paved the way for others to follow. 

That is the inviting aspect of pushing past your comfort zone – you serve as a guidepost for others to follow, by breaking ground in your pursuit.

Maybe you’ll find that these new experiences will provide opportunities you never knew existed.

These are the steps I hope to put into practice during my Malaysian adventure. If you’d like to follow the show more closely, you can check out my Instagram, rita.mangan.

Before I leave you, I’d like to ask, do have you any experiences you may want to share, together with your own advice? Or if you have plans to get out your comfort zone soon, I would love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Rita x