Tag Archives: comfort zone

Egg yolks can be an adventure


Posted by Jane Perdue

A fried egg seems an unlikely source of anxiety – yet it was. Sitting atop a grilled hamburger, it drew stares not only from Katherine who had ordered the dish but from several others at our table.

“This isn’t really what I expected,” she exclaimed. “It doesn’t look right.”

Having lived in Denver where fried eggs surfed on lots of unexpected foods, I suggested she surprise her taste buds and take a small bite.

“I don’t think so,” Katherine declared. With a grimace, Katherine scooped the egg onto her bread plate and handed it to a passing waiter.

Katherine was bold in taking a baby step outside her comfort zone when she ordered the “sunny burger.” Yet she quickly recoiled from taking the next step when the new circumstances looked too unfamiliar. It’s true that fried eggs aren’t a hamburger topping staple like tomato or bacon or cheese; yet living life to your fullest potential is an ongoing adventure. And adventures, by their very nature, bring challenges and newness to be savored and explored.

Mind the signs. Just like the menu description that clearly announced the inclusion of the egg with the burger, life gives us signs. Watch for and pay attention to them. Act when they’re there; don’t pretend you didn’t see them if things turn out not quite so good.

Don’t stop mid-stream. Katherine took the culinary leap when she ordered but failed to carry through by taking just one teeny tiny bite. Putting one toe across the comfort zone border but refusing to go any further won’t help you conquer your fears.

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking risks, and that means you’re not going anywhere. ~John Holt

Just do it. Take smart, small risks occasionally. Think of it as part of your personal professional development plan. It’s true about the old phrase, no risk no reward. Develop a taste for the unfamiliar; that way an unanticipated change isn’t quite so daunting.

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~Helen Keller

Pay attention to what you push away or ignore. Understanding patterns can lead to insights about fears, concerns, etc. that hold you back from going to the next level.

Build resiliency. Not succeeding is an excellent teacher. Smile, reflect, give yourself permission to learn, and then move on.

Keeping your professional and personal life static leads to boredom, closed thinking and narrow viewpoints. Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? A taste or touch of the new and unexpected brings a whole new level of richness to life.

 

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Go ahead - try something new!


Posted by Jane Perdue

A fried egg doesn’t seem a likely cause of consternation – yet it was. Perched atop a grilled hamburger, it drew stares not only from Katherine who had ordered the dish but from several of her dining companions as well.

“Well, I never expected this,” she exclaimed. “Who would eat an egg on a burger? This just doesn’t look right.”

Having lived in Denver where we experienced eggs on top of lots of unexpected foods, I suggested that she surprise her taste buds and take a small bite.

“I don’t think so,” Katherine declared. With her lips pursed and drawing approving nods from our fellow diners, Katherine scooped the offending egg onto her bread plate and handed it off to the passing waiter.

Isn’t it fascinating how we get bold and take a baby step outside our comfort zone (like ordering the burger in the first place), yet immediately recoil when the new circumstances look unfamiliar? Living life to your fullest potential is an ongoing adventure. And adventures, by their very nature, bring challenges and newness to be savored and explored.

Lead BIG tips to enjoy the journey and to grow:

• Take a risk every now and then. It stretches your “risk muscle,” prepping you for those unexpected changes that do occur, usually when we least expect them.

• Pay attention to the signs. Just like the menu description that clearly announced the inclusion of the egg with the burger, life gives us signs and warnings. Watch for and pay attention to them. Act when they’re there.

• Be mindful of what you push away or ignore. Keeping your professional and personal life static leads to boredom, closed thinking and narrow viewpoints…doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? A taste or touch of the new and unexpected brings a whole new level of richness to life!

What story does your comfort zone tell?

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For Sale: Permanent Residence Inside the Comfort Zone


Posted by Jane Perdue
Do you place certain papers in a certain spot on your desk or travel to work via the same route every day? Do you have a favorite coffee mug? A food you eat when you seek comfort (gooey mac and cheese here!)?

Most of us have these preferred routines and/or objects for a reason.  They’re familiar. They’re comfortable.  They make us feel safe. But sometimes that comfort can become confining—with or without us being aware that we’ve created boundaries we rarely stretch or step across.

If we’re to grow, we must propel ourselves beyond the borders of our comfort zone. Tim Butler, psychotherapist, director of Career Development at Harvard Business School and author of Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths,  points out that:

Failure to get unstuck can put careers, personal life goals, and the healthy functioning of work teams or organizations at risk.

If propelling past the borders of our comfort zones seems too hard a task to tackle, here are some “rocket fuel” thoughts and actions to start those comfort zone engines moving:

 Once a week, do something that isn’t “you.” 

Eat sushi. Sign up for dance or karate lessons. Wear orange or polka dots. Walk, or sing, in the rain. Make a cold call. Attend a networking event. Read and comment on a blog.  Sleep in or get up extra early.

What’s important is exploring and experimenting. Without new influences and experiences, a comfort zone can become a self-imposed prison.

 Don’t let a month slip by without learning something new. Big or small, that’s up to you.

Listen to classical music or the Black Eyed Peas. Listen to a book as you drive to work or the market. Listen to a TED presentation. Take a webinar. Look up the meaning of an unfamiliar word and use it in a conversation that very same day. Learn a new software. Try out a new craft or sport. 

Art by Tad Wagner

Expand all our muscles:  physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Let go of and/or toss out one thing every quarter. Each person gets to choose if the thing is an object, a feeling, a practice or whatever their personal baggage might be.

That sweater that hasn’t been worn since high school – give it to a charity. That slighted feeling you’re carrying  around because Betty or Bob ignored you – write it down on a piece of paper, tie that paper to a helium-filled balloon and let it sail away, out of your head, heart and life. Those beliefs you’re carved in personal granite about how things must always be done – grab your chisel, and start carving away. That dress or shirt or tie you’ve been saving for a special event – declare today a special day and wear it.

Be perpetually open to learning, doing and being!

What’s your favorite way to blast outside your comfort zone?

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Partners, Plants and Learning Progress


Posted by Jane Perdue

While at Continental Cablevision (sadly they are no more), I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Maurice (Moe) Olivier, founder of the Academy for Corporate Excellence. As is his standard practice, Moe had created a customized leadership development program for us focused on the practices of exemplary leaders - using influence, managing change and leading transition, communicating and fostering the right work culture.

All terrific concepts from the content standpoint - yet meaningless if the course participants didn’t adopt, adapt and apply their learnings when they returned to work.. We’ve all probably heard the post-training observation that “yea, it was great stuff, but when I got back to work there was so much to do that I didn’t have time so I just kept on doing what I’d been doing.”

We wanted to cut through that attitude.  We wanted some discomfort to push expanding their comfort zone so new thoughts and actions could be internalized. Our solution: partners and a plant.

Partners…and a plant

Why a plant? Plants need nurturing. Without light and water they die.  Just as leadership principles do when they’re not applied.

We challenged the Leadership for Excellence participants to keep their plant, and learnings, alive by taking and making time. Time to care for the plant and to reflect on how they could keep their newfound leadership skills alive, too. I recently received an email from a course participant who told me that the plant helped him stay focused. He said a dead plant would have been a too obvious sign that he wasn’t keeping his training learnings alive!

Reflect on what you’re doing

Think back to the last training class you attended or to the last management or leadership book you read or the last mentoring session you had. Did you discover great content you wanted to use yet never found the time to make it happen? As with many things in life and leadership, you’re in the driver’s seat for expanding your comfort zone by incorporating new learnings.

3 ways to maximize the results of your leadership training

In lieu of a plant, ponder these ways to push the walls of your post leadership training comfort zone:

  • Get a partner and hold each other accountable for applying just one learning principle. Make that learning nugget come to life - nurture the practice until it becomes second nature for you. Then move on to the next nugget.
  • Adopt the beginner’s mind each time you take a course or read a book to improve your knowledge, skills and abilities. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.
  • Embrace the both/and mindset:  yes, I must handle all my normal work duties AND become a better leader by applying what I’ve learned.

And maybe, just maybe, buy yourself a plant  as a visible reminder of what new things you will do and/or be.

What say you?

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