We all have dreams in life, yet it’s really not always that easy for us to work out how to go and get them. When this happens, you may feel like you’re just never going to be able to get what you want. But you can. It’s actually so much easier for you to get what you want in life than you’d first think.
It all comes down to your mindset. We all tend to live quite firmly within our comfort zones and it really does hold us back. When you have dreams, you often have to do things that are different and scary in order to get them off of the ground. But how can you do that when you’re scared? Let’s take a look.
5 Steps To Living Outside Your Comfort Zone
1. Know What Scares You
For starters, it’s important to understand what’s stopping you, what’s holding you back. When you are feeling fear, there is a reason for it. But trying to understand what scares you and why could be the start of actually being able to step out of your comfort zone for once.
And honestly, acknowledging and recognizing your fears helps you to formulate dreams and plans easier. Instead of being hard on yourself for not being like someone else that you perceive as going after their dreams, you can learn how to work around what scares you.
For instance, let’s say you envy people that have uprooted their lives and moved to a foreign country. Once you recognize you are scared to do it and why, you can plan work arounds or create a better suited course for you in baby steps, like going on an extended vacation first.
You will find that dipping your toe in the water will give you time to work through your fears and gain confidence to go deeper next time.
2. Think About The Risk
Okay, so something is stopping you from living or doing something you have always dreamed about. So now think about the consequences of that happening – what’s the worst that could happen? This could help you to feel much calmer and realize that you’re going to be okay – and in fact happy, if you actually do it.
Sometimes it helps to create a list of worst case scenarios and then assign a probability ratio to each outcome. If you have trouble with this step, ask a friend for help. Chances are when you see it in black and white, you recognize that the reward versus risk is worth it.
It also gives you an opportunity to organize backup plans if in case the worst case scenario does happen. If you can see a way out when things get tough, you may be more willing to take a chance in the first place.
3. Plan For Your Dreams
Another way to think about it is to make plans for the future. Think about your dreams and what you want. Then work out how you’re actually going to reach them. When you’re able to create goals, you may be able to downplay the actions you need to take and start living a little.
And the smaller the steps you can create between each goal will keep you moving forward and embracing even the smallest success.
4. Do Something About It
But then also, if there is something going on with you and you’re worried about it, it’s time to deal with it. Sure, it can be scary and you might be afraid – but you have to take action if you’re going to overcome it. This could be the case for breast cancer treatment or social anxiety. Unless you take action, you’ll never be able to work through it.
In reality, doing nothing and ruminating about outcomes is actually more scary and stressful. Once you start to do something about your situation, you gain confidence and control.
5. Live For Today
Finally, you’re definitely going to need to make sure that you start living and be grateful and happy with what you have today.
It’s cool to plan things – sure. But don’t hold yourself back and save everything for tomorrow. Circumstances change. Opportunities dry up and tomorrow may never come.
So, embrace all your blessings and if there is something that you want to do or work on, do it. Regret is an awful way to live.
And that’s all there is to it. Of course, we can often make a big deal out of things in our minds when we really don’t have to. It’s so easy to think that these things will be hard or scary or both – but they don’t have to be. So start truly living by doing these steps right now.