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Practice These Small Steps to Create Positive Change

Practice These Small Steps to Create Positive Change

by | Jul 10, 2019 | Personal Growth

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell

For many of us, change can be hard. 

​Even when you know that the change you want to make is going to lead to bigger and better things, it can still be difficult to push through your fears and limiting beliefs. Especially with all the BS your inner critic seems to be whispering in your ear!

Unfortunately, if we have changes we want to make in our life, it will require us to step outside of our comfort zone. And we all REALLY like being in our comfort zone, right? We would much rather stay cozy in what we know (even when it’s making us miserable), then to take the tiniest step out into the unknown and unfamiliar.
 
The truth is, staying comfortable is what stops you from creating the life you really want to live. But working through those fears and limiting beliefs that are keeping you in your comfort zones can be easier than you think…it all starts with a few simple baby steps.
 
Here are five things you can practice every day that will help you move forward and make positive changes in your life:
 
1.    Make Your Wellbeing Your Number One Priority
How you treat your body, mind, and spirit will determine what you do or don’t do in life. Eating the right kinds of food, staying hydrated, and getting physical activity every day (even a 10-minute walk will make a difference). Practice journaling, gratitude, and acknowledging your daily accomplishments. Remember, taking care of yourself first will give you the energy needed to better take care of the people and things in your life. Need more tips for getting your wellbeing on?
 
2.    Take Time to Create and Connect with Your Vision
There is a saying that, “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll likely end up somewhere else.” A powerful vision is made up of your BIG goals and the WHY behind each one of them that makes it so juicy it pulls at your heartstrings and motivates your actions. Every area of our life is integrated, so it’s important to take the time to create goals not only for our careers and businesses but also for our personal life.  Your vision will serve as a roadmap for creating the life you REALLY want to live. Not sure where to start? Spend time journaling about what you want your life to look like in 5 or 10 years, starting with the areas you have the most clarity on. Explore your passions, hobbies, and core values…you can even use the people you admire for inspiration. Check out my blog on Finding Your Balance for more inspiration.
 
3.    Be Intentional and Present with Your Day
Life gets busy, and it can be easy to get caught up in our to-do list and lose sight of our BIG goals. Research shows that being able to focus on the here and now, truly living in the present and not stuck in the past or worrying about the future plays a big role in our overall happiness. 
 
A few things that will help you: Plan your day the night before. Create a morning routine that supports your vision…even something as simple as making your bed in the morning will set the tone for your day. Gratitude and journaling are also great ways to stay present. It’s amazing what happens when we acknowledge all the good things in our life and when we can get out thoughts out of our heads and onto paper (or talk about them with a trusted person in your life). 
 
4.   Have FUN!
Play is an essential part of a child’s development and happiness, but it is also incredibly important for adults. Make time during each day to do things that make your heart smile. Laughter, music, sunshine, singing…what lights you up? Whatever it is, be intentional about getting more of it in your life and find ways to incorporating into everything you do. Create a fun playlist to listen to while on your way to work, sign up for an art class on the weekend, take singing lessons (I started doing this a couple of months ago), or make a point to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. We are meant to enjoy life…so practice integrating fun in everything you do!
 
5. Don’t Do It Alone
It’s easier to achieve your BIG goals when you have someone that will encourage you, support you, and hold you accountable. Practice vulnerability by confiding in people you trust and asking for the help and support you need. Tell people about the life you want to create…the more you talk about it, the more clear you’ll get on what you really want, need, and desire. Find an accountability partner or hire a coach (I know a great one!) that can keep you on track and keep you moving forward toward your BIG goals!
 
Change can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Making these small changes a part of your daily routine will keep you connected to your vision, allow you to take actions outside of your comfort zone, and will help you achieve your BIG goals…bringing you closer to and creating the life you really want to live.

Nicole Comis, Certified Life & Executive Coach, helps business owners and other career-driven professionals achieve their BIG career goals while integrating more balance into their lives. She partners with her clients to gain clarity on what they want their future to look like, face their fears, identify obstacles holding them back, and create a plan to help them achieve BIG, stretchy goals that are outside of their comfort zone. Her coaching practice incorporates her client’s whole life, not just their career, leading to a more balanced, productive, healthy, and happy life. Nicole is a graduate and certified coach from the Accomplishment Coaching Coaches Training Program and is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Nicole’s high-energy, judgment-free, fun, no-BS approach helps men and women live a more balanced life with a career they love, fulfilling relationships, a healthy well-being, and killer confidence!

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

by | May 26, 2016 | Comfort Zone

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place. But nothing ever grows there.” ~unknown

I have always dreamt of being up on a big stage empowering others. There was only one problem…I was petrified of public speaking. I’m talking the pit in your stomach, I’m going to throw up kind of fear! Even giving my 30-second elevator speech made me want to run for the hills! 

Standing in front of the room, with dozens eyes looking at me, brought me back to being a kid when the teacher would call on me and I didn’t know the answer. You see, in the middle of first grade I was put back into second grade due to some comprehension challenges. So, as a little girl I developed a limiting belief that I would never be smart enough.

Once I created that awareness to my subconscious belief, I was able to take baby steps to face my fears. I started attending more networking events so I could practice giving my elevator speech. I started giving mini presentations to my leads group on my business (I used to find every excuse as to why I wasn’t able to present). I accepted positions where I was in charge of running meetings. And eventually I was getting up in front of a room of nearly 100 women and welcoming them to the Women in Business Breakfast each month.

The more I practiced the more I comfortable I got and eventually public speaking became a part of my comfort zone. I’m not saying that it’s smack dab in the middle, it’s probably still closer to the edge, but the more I practice the more comfortable I get and the closer it’s bringing me to my dream.
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To support you in stepping outside of your comfort zone it’s helpful to first understand what your comfort zone is and how it works. 
 
Fears: The main purpose of our comfort zone is to protect us from our fears. Not fears like spiders or snakes, but fears to keep us safe, especially emotionally. You know the fear of failure, rejection, being alone….
 
Beliefs:  Our fears are typically created from limiting beliefs we have about others, the world or ourselves. Beliefs that we most likely we developed at a younger age and are stored in our subconscious.  
 
Survival Mechanism: The protective shield, the armor, around our fears. This is where we decided to become a perfectionist, control freak, overachiever, workaholic, caretaker, etc.  
 
Feelings: Our feeling also hang out in our comfort zone… good feelings, bad feelings, and the occasional feelings of joy or life is awesome.  
 
We spend most of our days living inside our comfort zones. Sometimes we are smack dab in the middle. Sometimes we are slightly off center. At times we are even on the edge. But very rarely are outside our comfort zone…and this is where the magic happens and where possibility lives!
 
Below are 5 things to support you in stepping outside of your comfort zone:
 
Create an awareness of your fear: Creating awareness is always the first step to making a change.  Explore what you fear is and where it is coming from. What is the core belief that created this fear? Be patient, finding these hidden beliefs often requires that we do some hunting.
 
Get clear on your Future Vision: What do want your life to look like? Get connected with your, “what for,” your “why,” your goals and your big commitments. Be sure to revisit this on a regular basis…this is the fuel for your fire! 
 
Don’t Do It Alone: Partner with someone you trust to hold you accountable. Pick someone that you can vulnerably share your fears, your plans and what you want to create. Practice asking for support and help.
 
Avoid Overthinking: Our minds have a habit of building up things to be worse than they are in reality. We overthink things and play out every scenario, which can paralyze you. Take a deep breath, connect with your commitment and rip off that Band-Aid! Don’t let your brain sabotage your goals.
 
Don’t Expect Change to Happen Over Night: Create milestone and take baby steps to support you. Keep practicing! The goal is to take things on, to build your muscles so that eventually you will expand your comfort zone.

Nicole Comis, Certified Life & Executive Coach, helps business owners and other career-driven professionals achieve their BIG career goals while integrating more balance into their lives. She partners with her clients to gain clarity on what they want their future to look like, face their fears, identify obstacles holding them back, and create a plan to help them achieve BIG, stretchy goals that are outside of their comfort zone. Her coaching practice incorporates her client’s whole life, not just their career, leading to a more balanced, productive, healthy, and happy life. Nicole is a graduate and certified coach from the Accomplishment Coaching Coaches Training Program and is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Nicole’s high-energy, judgment-free, fun, no-BS approach helps men and women live a more balanced life with a career they love, fulfilling relationships, a healthy well-being, and killer confidence!