Are you in your best zone to grow?
I love my comfort zone too. That place where I plod along, doing what I’ve always done, because it got me this far - simple, easy, comfortable.
But staying in that comfort zone in times of rapid change and uncertainty can leave you exposed, vulnerable - and left behind.
The key to your wellbeing and success is stepping outside of your comfort zone and into your performance zone. Being in the performance zone enables you to grow, create space for new habits and break up with bad habits.
The performance zone is a sometimes scary and often wonderful place at the same time. I know I stepped into mine when I hiked 820 km through the Australian Alps. Stepping outside my comfort zone, becoming comfortable with uncomfortable and pushing personal boundaries let me grow in ways that wouldn’t have been possible had I stayed in my comfort zone.
When you’re in your performance zone, you’ll find yourself engaging with life, people and work, you’ll feel motivated to learn and try new things, to push and nudge boundaries. You’re in flow.
The trick is to be mindful and not throw yourself full throttle into a new lifestyle, committing to an all-out effort or an inconsiderate amount of change that could land you in the danger zone. That is the zone when you extend too far out of your comfort zone and past your performance zone, leading to stress, burnout and a sense of failure.
For a sustainable change that improves wellbeing and success, it is important that you set yourself smart goals and implement incremental changes that move you towards your bigger vision, beyond your comfort zone and into your performance zone. If you are motivated to live in the performance zone, you have to be able to clearly articulate what your goals are - and communicate them to yourself.
Take the time and objectively review your last 6 months (or even year), if you can - acknowledging the good, the bad and the so-so. What insights can you gather that can help set you up for a successful second half of 2022?
What were the most significant impacts on your life in the last 6-12 months?
How well did you meet these challenges?
What achievements can you celebrate?
What experience provided the biggest learning for your?
What do you believe are the biggest challenges coming your way in the next 6-12 month?
Do you want to step into your performance zone? I invite you to the adventure.