How productive is your comfort zone

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to a women’s business group that my mom has been a member of for quite a few years. These savvy ladies meet on a bimonthly basis and discuss business and investing strategies.

I was asked to speak before the group… I thought it would be about the general fitness gruel that people ask me to speak about. You know, what is the hot topic or trend in fitness. How can I become a size X in 15 days or less.

But this meetings topic was different. First of all, it was going to be a tough crowd… you have to know my relationship with my mom. She doesn’t put up with too much of my s*%t.. Guess I used that all up when I was a kid. :-)

Second, these folks had A LOT more life and business experience than I had. But they wanted my explanation of how I help motivate people to reach their goals.

I thought it was kind of weird that they asked a fitness professional to speak to them about goal setting. Then I started to think about it… that is what I do day in and day out. Never really thought about in those terms.

I help my clients, my staff and customers reach their goals. I just use a different modality (recreation and fitness activities) to help them reach those goals and hopefully gain confidence. With their renewed confidence carrying over and giving them a better mindset to reach other life goals.

I presented for two hours!

I couldn't believe it, no one got up and left, I didn’t get any stains on my sport coat from freshly tossed fruit - and people seemed genuinely zoned in on to what I was saying.

It ended up being a very good night!

There were a lot of smiles in the crowd...especially when I was describing how people put limits on their success. How past negative feelings and images from previous life events limit their ability to accomplish their current goals.

The scary part is that I had a those same type of thoughts creeping up in my brain about this presentation just days before.

I’m used to spewing about fitness stuff – that’s my comfort zone….But talking about successful business practices. Eeeeek! I really don’t view myself as someone who has been successful in business and managing people.

I must have played the negative tape in my mind of bombing in front of these University of Chicago and Harvard Business School graduates a half a dozen times. Even discribing these events makes we want to find the nearest shrink’s couch! But that is for another email/blog.

Truth is that this was very good for me.

This presentation actually took me out of my comfort zone -- I'm used to presenting to trainers, coaches and athletes on a regular basis -- but this was the first time I'd presented to business owners (some of whom in attendance were running multi-million dollar businesses!) Of course it was a great opportunity for me, and not to mention a great honor.

But I was definitely a little out of my comfort zone.

Comfort zone (Wikipedia definition):
"A comfort zone denotes that limited set of behaviors that a person will engage without becoming anxious. Alternatively denoted as a "plateau" it describes that set of behaviors that have become comfortable, without creating a sense of risk. A person's personality can be described by his or her comfort zones. Highly successful persons may routinely step outside their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wish. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries that are not real. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security. Like inertia, a person who has established a comfort zone in a particular axis of his or her life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside a person's comfort zone, he must experiment with new and different behaviors, and then experience the new and different responses that then occur within his environment.

The boundaries of a comfort zone to result in an internally rigid state of mind. A comfort zone often results from unfounded beliefs which, once dispelled, expand the scope of a person's behaviors within the same environment. A comfort zone may alternatively be described with such terms as rigidity, limits or boundaries, or habit, or even as stigmatized behavior."

Humm… I think I am going to have to get out of my comfort zone more often!

So when was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?

Think about your goals and your own training.

When was the last time you did an exercise you were unfamiliar with, or pushed beyond your normal limits? We all know that the best results come from attempting a new personal record?

What about your business, your life or career?

This week - make a decision to reach out of your own comfort zone. Try something new - experience something different. that's where the real growth lies.

Til next time

Larry