The comfort zone is a nice cushion of a place. It’s safe and predictable, requires nothing from you apart from just being there. It sounds like a dream but in fact is a nightmare for people like me that are creative, want more out of life and love new challenges. I was stuck for many years and recently I took a risk to escape it.

I didn’t realise it was a trap at first; I thought it was just how the cycle of life was. You work, get paid at the end of each month, pay the bills. Rinse and repeat. I worked hard, had very good jobs and learned great skills from them, but they were never in line with things I was passionate about or led me towards fulfilling my purpose, which is to empower people. I worked in traditional employment (where you’re signed to a company as a permanent member of staff to do a specific role) for over twenty years and instead of feeling empowered by my work experiences it was quite the opposite. I was not growing professionally and slowly I became discontent. I realized in order to have the career I wanted I would need to leave the comfort zone of traditional paid employment. I have finally done it and yes, it is scary!

I know being in the comfort zone trap is not a place many people choose by choice. Sometimes low self-esteem; confidence and lack of self- belief can get in the way of taking a chance to try new things. Also, fear of finances, what other people might think or how to begin to work towards your goals may put you off, so I want to share with you 3 tips to set you on your way.

Have a goal

Before you can escape you need to have an idea of what you want to escape to! Is your goal to start your own business or go back into education to gain a new qualification? Write down what your goal is. Don’t worry if it seems too big or crazy that means you are on the right track! Remember if it is simple to achieve it probably means you are still hoping to stay in the comfort zone!

Have a plan

Now you have your goal it is time to create a plan. In my recent videos ‘procrastination and the perfect time’ and my book review on Joanna Penn’s ‘Career change’ (See links for videos at end of article) I shared how I went from being unhappy in my job in 2016 to 15 months later leaving and launching my own company YEME Empowerment. The key thing I did was to create a plan of what I needed to start and the process it would take for me to get there, I also set timescales to hold myself accountable to executing the plan. Write down all the things you feel you will need to get to your goal and then research. This will help you either define or change your route.

See your vision

There will be times where discouragement sets in and it may seem it will take too long to reach your goal that is why I love vision boards! Usually, this is done in the form of cutting out pictures from magazines or newspapers and then glued onto large art card but if you cannot do that you can do a mini one on an a4 card. If you are not a creative person maybe write down on a piece of paper a statement of how it would feel to reach your goal. The purpose of this exercise is that you stick it on your wall or somewhere you can see it every day to keep you motivated and focused on your dreams and goals.

If this is something you need help with YEME Empowerment offers an empowerment coaching service visit the page to see how I can help you.http://www.yemeempowerment.com/empowerment-coaching/

It is possible to escape the comfort zone trap but it is a choice that besides the 3 tips I have shared with you require a change of mindset and a determined mind. If you are determined to get started today, a great adventure is waiting for you!

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