5 ways to bust out of your comfort zone

Brian Turner @brianbturner

We want and expect great things to happen. But are not willing to get uncomfortable and make the necessary sacrifices for things to manifest.

When I told my family and friends I would quit the government job a year after I started, everyone thought I was crazy. When I quit exactly one year later, they thought I was insane.

Why I Quit My Job

In 2005, I quit my corporate job because I was bored and wasn’t happy. I got a new job at a government agency that increased my salary by over 25%. The job was sweet. I got more money, better benefits, a corner office, the ability to work from home. It made sense to family and friends to leave the corporate job for this ‘good government job.’ I would get the guaranteed money and still be able to do real estate as a realtor on the side. So when I told everyone that I would quit the new job in a year, they did not understand.

See I had a plan and I wanted to be great. At the time, that meant being in control and making a lot more money. And working this job and doing real estate would not get me there. I also realized during my time in Corporate America that I wasn’t cut out to be an employee. I wanted to be free, be creative, and this would require me to quit my job so I could focus on running my own business.

What in Homecare

The problem is I was clueless about how to run the new business I signed up for. In 2006, I reached an agreement with an old friend to be her partner in a franchise homecare business. She was a nurse, but I knew nothing about the field. I ran the idea by my grandmother that year and she gave me her blessing although she was concerned. I knew I could have some success running the business even though I was clueless about what I was doing.

Lessons for a Lifetime

In later blogs, I will go into details about the experience. But fast forward to the present time and we have been recognized as a top 3 office out of over 400+ locations worldwide. I managed to have that much success running the businesses (I have two offices now) from a different state. I made good money and reaped all of the benefits of being a business owner. Yes it was risky, it was frustrating at times, but it was well worth it. When you break out of your comfort zone, you get the lessons that will last you a lifetime.

In order to be happy and fulfilled, getting and staying uncomfortable are required for that to happen. Currently, I have three businesses and in the process of launching my personal brand. I stay uncomfortable because that puts me in a position own my time. I want ultimate freedom, which allows me to hang out with my family more, make money on the go, and focus on doing the things that I love. Anyway, here are 5 ways to bust out of your comfort zone.

1. Get in Front of the Camera

You will be required to build your own personal brand in the future. When I first started creating videos, I was scared to death. Now I can’t wait to do them as it challenges me to share information in the most creative ways possible.

2. Read a Book a Month

Download audible and sign up for a free 30-day trial to get the first book free. With audible you can listen to performances of your favorite books. So if your time does not permit for you to read a book a month, try audible and listen while you’re in the car or at the gym.

3. Disconnect Often

Our society that has developed an unhealthy attachment to our technological devices. Between emails, texts, calls and notifications from our favorite apps, this is a full-time job. I cut off social media a while ago and only use it for business reasons. It has helped to improve my health, sanity and happiness.

4. Start Conversations with Strangers

When you talk to strangers it helps you overcome fears and gain confidence with things you never thought possible. Approaching strangers at a bar will help you get past the fear of being judged. And this carries over to other parts of your life. This is a great way to overcome shyness with meeting new people.

5. Get Uncomfortable

When we have deadlines and set expectations, we often get them done with minimum effort. Comfort kills productivity and a comfort zone is the enemy of creativity. When we step outside our comfort zone, we get things done faster, work harder, and find better ways to get stuff done.