Move Beyond Easy
“Step so far outside of your comfort zone that you forget how to get back.”
- Anonymous
We all get caught up in our patterns of life. It’s easy to do. You find you rhythm of waking up, going to work, coming home and finishing your day. It’s easy!
It’s like pulling on that old sweatshirt. It just feels right. Everything fits. Your body, your mind, your partner, your kids, your dog or cat, your extended family, your friends, your work all find the same rhythm. It’s easy.
But is it right?
In sports if you become too predictable you become an easy target. I was watching Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” series and he talked about a player for an opposing team that, “played on the front of his toes”, if Jordan needed a bucket, he knew how to move to get an open shot. And he did it … over and over again. It was easy for the defender to fall into this style. But it was easier for Jordan to exploit it.
Are you that defender? Are people able to take advantage of you because they know your schedule? Does your boss pile up work on you, because they know you don’t have anything else to do? Do you leave parties early because you need to be home to watch your weekly TV show? Can people guess what you are having for lunch, because it’s Wednesday? Can people set their watches by you? Do you wear the same clothes on the same day of the week?
If so, you may be “stuck”.
You’re not alone. A recent study showed that 75% of the work force feels “stuck” both personally and professionally (75% feel "stuck" personally and professionally - Learning News).
The good news is that this doesn’t have to be permanent. You can break this cycle. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that you’re going to have get out of your comfort zone. I’m not talking about blowing up everything you do. Just don’t be so rigid that your schedule controls you.
Here are five easy ways to start to move away from easy:
1). Stop Watching / Start Doing: If you watch home improvement shows start to do your own projects. Have your significant other join you so it’s a team thing. Start small and work up. There are thousands of YouTube help videos out there if you’re not sure how to get started. One warning: If it’s a major transformation, like major electrical work or if its water related, it might be better to call in a professional.
2). Re-Schedule Your Schedule: If you HAVE TO work out every day change your times. Instead of doing it at the same time every day; change up your workout times. You might have to get up earlier but you can always go to bed a little earlier to compensate. If you’re worried about missing your favorite TV show, DVR it. When you do this, you can speed through the commercials which will take you less time to watch it.
3). Become Adventurous: On the weekends begin to have “Adventure Saturday”. One of your family will pick and outing. Another will pick where you will eat. The only caveat is that both must be places or events that you have never gone to in the past. My family did this when we moved to Seattle. We wanted to find unique places to see. One weekend my son picked the King Tut exhibit and I picked a restaurant that was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We had a blast.
4). Social Gathering: Ask different groups of friends to go out for Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Each Friday someone in your group will pick a place to go for drinks and dinner. It may be a new place that we recently heard about or a place that we haven’t been for a while. We have found dozens of places to go that I had no idea existed.
5). Dream Big: Begin working on your next dream. If your passion lies in another field than where you are at right now, let your “passion” become a “hobby” now so it can be the driving force in the future. For example: I always knew I was going to write a book, but writing is a “muscle” of sorts. To build my strength as an author I started to write and write and write. Once I found my writing voice and style I started working on the chapters of my book. When I finished writing my chapters it was time to find an editor and a publisher. This goes for any passion. Find out if this is truly your passion, because it will never feel forced. For me I write because I love the process. It is a NEED. In order for me to be truly happy I NEED to write. Writing has never been a GOT TO thing. Learn it – Live it – Love it!
Start with these five simple changes to your life and soon you will have moved beyond easy!
Have an amazing day!
