From the course: Being Proactive: Taking Charge of Your Personal and Professional Success

Getting into your stretch zone

From the course: Being Proactive: Taking Charge of Your Personal and Professional Success

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Getting into your stretch zone

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- So how do you get into your stretch zone? Well, you need to be okay with feeling uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable can mean also that you're exhilarated, challenged just enough, excited, and learning. The stretch zone is where you can challenge yourself, learn new skills, and grow as an individual. The panic zone, on the other hand, is where you experience too much stress and anxiety, and where you may begin to feel overwhelmed and out of control. Here are seven ways to move into your stretch zone, and the more often you can do this, the more you will grow and build confidence. Start small. Begin with small challenges that push you just slightly out of your comfort zone. For example, if you're nervous about public speaking, start by speaking in front of a small group of friends or colleagues before moving on to larger audiences. Set goals. Identify specific goals you want to achieve, and create a plan to achieve them. Write them down and track your progress. This will help you stay motivated and focused. Take calculated risks. Taking risks is essential for growth, but it's important to do so in a calculated way. Evaluate the potential risks and benefits before taking action. Embrace failure. Failure is a natural part of growth and learning. Don't be afraid to fail or make mistakes. Instead, use them as opportunities to learn and improve. Surround yourself with supportive people. Seek out people who encourage and support your growth. Avoid negative people who discourage you or hold you back. Practice self-compassion. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be challenging and uncomfortable. Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a friend. Celebrate your successes. When you achieve a goal or overcome a challenge, take time to celebrate your success. This will help you stay motivated and confident as you continue to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. As you keep moving into stretch zone and growing that stretch zone, guess what happens. Your comfort zone becomes bigger because the things that were a bit scary or uncomfortable become things that you become competent in and confident, and really, by the end of our lives, our comfort zone should be really, really big, big, big, fat comfort zone because you've grown so much and got so many things where you've become more competent and more confidence.

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