If you've seen the below graphic before, you may think moving from the Comfort Zone to the Growth Zone happens in a straight line, but you won't always experience forward momentum.
You may have experienced Growth in one area of your life but still be stuck way back in Comfort in another. For example, you're killing it in your career, but perhaps your relationships are stagnant.
Or a new development occurs in an area where you had pushed through Fear, and suddenly, you're stuck again. Suppose you booked a solo dream vacation after much trepidation, but then new travel restrictions force you to cancel, and now you're hesitant to reschedule.
Moving through the Circle of Growth will look more like a roller coast than a bullet train.
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The key is identifying where you are in any given area of your life, being honest with yourself about it, and then taking steps to push through.
Find out which Zone you're in! Take this quiz.
While the Growth Circle is a continuous journey, we're going to give you tips and tools to spend less time in the Comfort & Fear zones.
The Comfort Zone is where you'll feel the least drive to make progress because, as the name suggests, it's comfortable. But if the stagnation is causing you dissatisfaction, you will need to do more than just go through the motions and find the motivation to move forward.
A great way to do this is to create a vision that generates so much excitement you can't help but make strides towards reaching it.
Start by getting clarity on what you want. Is it a more meaningful career, a fulfilling relationship, more time to commit to your passions? It could be one specific thing or a complete vision of your ideal future.
Take the Get Clarity course to find your purpose and create your vision.
Once you have clarity on what you want, begin a visualization practice. Close your eyes and imagine how you'll feel once you've achieved it. Where are you? Who is with you? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? Embrace your vision so much that it feels real. Once you believe you can have it, you'll begin to push out of the Comfort Zone to accomplish your goal.
Unlike the Comfort Zone, no one wants to hang out in Fear. In this Zone, you know what you want in this zone, and perhaps you've identified your next steps, but something is holding you back from taking them.
To push through fear, the first step is to identify the fear. There are typical fears that many of us experience at one time or another, knowing which one is dominant for you is key to moving past it.
Find out which fear is holding you back with our Fear Of Quiz.
Call attention to your fear when you start to feel it. When your rational mind can say, "Oh, that's just my fear of (not being good enough, failure, losing control, etc.)," you take away some of its power. Once you identify your fear, you tend to feel better about it for a few reasons. Either the cause of your distress isn't as bad as it was making you feel, or you now have awareness, which will allow you to cope with and manage those feelings.
The Be You course helps you identify your fears and provides you with the tools to manage them, so they no longer prevent progress.
Take the Be You course and learn to push through Fear.
Reaching the Learning Zone is a huge accomplishment. You're learning new skills and are making progress towards your goals. What once caused you fear now feels quite comfortable. It's time to take all you've learned and live your vision.
Making your dreams a reality requires hard work and trust in the process. To move past the Learning Zone toward the Growth Zone, you'll need to manage your energy and be able to elevate your state so the inevitable obstacles don't cause you to slip back into Fear. But what does it mean to manage your energy and elevate your state?
SucceedOn Purpose Founder & CEO Terri Maxwell developed a simple process for managing your energy called the ABCs. This practice aims to replace the negative thoughts and energy in your body with more positive emotions. Go through these steps anytime you start to feel fear or anxiety rising in your body.
Elevating your state is another method for getting negativity out of your body. It can be the simple action of smiling, or you can pump it up by laughing out loud. Turn on one of your favorite songs and dance for the highest elevation. To that and you'll find yourself in a state where you're more open to inspiration and generally feel more positive.
The Growth Zone is all about maintenance. Practicing gratitude and managing your energy is key to staying in the Growth Zone.
While you cannot always be in the Growth Zone in every area of your life, you can find your way back. When you experience setbacks, challenges, or failure, reflect on which zone you've fallen back to and begin taking the steps toward Growth.
We find the Fear Zone is one of the most common and complex zones to push through. If you find yourself in Comfort or Fear, our Be You course gives you the tools needed to overcome fear and grow the confidence you need to achieve success.
We are kicking off a special series of group coaching with Terri Maxwell on Saturday, March 19, at 11 AM CDT. If you purchase the on-demand Be You course ($99) before then, you will receive five free coaching sessions ($500 value). Let us help you reach the Growth Zone!
