Ever wonder about the ways for getting outside your comfort zone, especially when you have big dreams on your heart and it all feels extremely daunting? 

I recently hosted a journaling workshop at a retreat where we worked on clearly identifying our heart and soul desires and working through all the emotions, feelings, limiting beliefs, and fears that came with that big vision.

The workshop exercises triggered conversations around the feeling of “impossibility” or “wishful thinking” tied to their visions. 

One attendee described her vision as “the truth comes out!”

Most of us know what we desire, what goals we want to achieve, what we want our lives, businesses, careers, etc. to look like, but doing it and creating something different can feel scary and overwhelming.

Here’s what happens….

We tend to keep ourselves in our own little box of what we know, and what we were conditioned to experience. It can feel foreign to think we can have these bigger life experiences that we see others achieve. 

It doesn’t seem real or possible.

In some ways, it isn’t possible for you right now, but only because you can’t SEE the possibility from the vantage point and current circumstances of where you are right now.

Most of the time it’s because doing what you are doing right now is getting you the results you have, but to completely have a different experience, you need to do new and different things, have new experiences, develop new skills, gain new knowledge, overcome new challenges that may seem scary, uncomfortable or hard. 

Our internal “wiring” feels safe with the beliefs, knowledge, experiences, and stories we tell ourselves each day. We create this nice little safe box of possibilities that seem attainable because our mind and nervous system feel they have evidence of what is safe and possible to have. 

There is a predictability to what we currently know, think, believe, and do. Even if all of it is holding us back.

We are also fantastic creatures of habit making it hard to even take one step that feels different or out of the norm. 

To have something new and different, to step INTO your next big goal, you need to learn and experience new things.

Here’s a great example: 

If you are in a job earning $50,000, but you desire to have a business earning $100,000, there are countless learning curves that need to happen – different ways money can flow to you, feeling worthy of money, learning about business, feeling confident in your skills and expertise, getting fearlessly visible, setting up systems so people can buy from you over and over again. 

It takes time and patience to put it all together, and won’t happen overnight. It takes doing new things and being patience as you start to become someone new. 

You need to adopte new habits you commit to on a daily basis. It requires adopting a growth mindset and welcoming in new perspectives.

Here’s an example of how I stepped out of my comfort zone:

I have been working out with a personal trainer since February. I love working out and have worked out in some capacity since I was in college, whether it was step aerobics, yoga, pilates, light weights, gym memberships. 

My initial reason for signing up with a trainer was to lose weight. I went in knowing I was already going to be uncomfortable going to a new gym which is why I hired a trainer to walk me through and get me comfortable.

But, I had never stepped foot in a heavy weight lifting gym. Here I was totally beyond my comfort zone, just wanting to shed 15lbs. All of a sudden I was surrounded by men and women deadlifting 200+lbs!

I thought, “No way will I ever want to do that! That is impossible for me!” 

I didn’t think I would be capable, since I have a nice, soft “fluffy”, body, not a shredded, toned, or athletic body. 

10lb dumbbells used to be so heavy for me, until I started lifting weights. I am now deadlifting 115lbs!

All of sudden what was possible for me completely changed. I find myself wanting to reach new heights with my fitness. I can see my muscles toning, I have more energy, I am less fatigued, and I have more capability with daily functional movements. 

What was once an impossibility, where I thought I wasn’t capable, became intriguing, fun, someone I wanted to become.

It took a single step and getting out of my comfort zone – joining a muscle building gym – to have a domino effect on new dreams and goals. Ultimately creating a new version of myself.

And, it all boosted my confidence.

NOTHING boosts your confidence more than doing something you didn’t think you could do or even dreamed of doing! 

And, nothing opens up more possibilities and opportunities for you either.

The path to any dream is the same, no matter how big or small. It requires you to do, think, believe, and act differently in any given moment. 

You need to grow and change. 

It requires you to find yourself in uncomfortable situations, work through your initial fear, make small changes and get comfortable in the uncomfortable. 

You too can own a multi-million dollar home like in Selling Sunset (I’m currently binging it right now!), or a cottage by the water, or have a thriving business or find the perfect romantic partner, or run a marathon. 

I know you might be thinking…but how can I take the first step? 

Below I am breaking down 8 ways for getting outside of your comfort zone. When you focus on these 8 steps, your big vision and new goals will feel less daunting and more approachable. 

I think of them as little moments of discomfort instead of jumping all in.

These 8 steps will help you embark on new adventures while also working with your mindset and nervous system so that you don’t freak out and close yourself off from where you desire to go.