Benchmark Business Group

Get Comfortable with Uncomfortable

December 31, 2018

Have you ever had a stranger fall asleep on your shoulder during a flight?

It’s an uncomfortable situation where you will think through several ways to wake that person up or move them over.

As a financial services professional there are also times when you need to do things that are uncomfortable. Several find the following at least a little, if not extremely, outside their comfort zone.

 
  • Calling a referral for the first time
  • Talking with a difficult client about a large rate increase
  • Networking at a social event

Comfort zones aren’t good or bad or right or wrong. They are built over time from experiences, beliefs and attitudes.

As the leader of your business, should you do anything about them?

Absolutely! Especially if the walls of comfort zones are limiting you from achieving your vision - or Optimal Outcome, as we refer to it. If reaching outside of those comfort zones is needed to achieve your Optimal Outcome, you need to look at ways to expand those zones. You must take action to go beyond current limitations.

Here are a few techniques that will allow you and your team to expand the boundaries of comfort zones:

Don’t Listen to Yourself – The voice in your head can take you on a downward spiral. When that voice is saying negative things about your abilities or skill, discover why it’s there, and take a small action you can start with to expand your comfort zone.

Follow Other People's Success – Take the advice from others on ways to make situations better. Ask a colleague who expanded their comfort zone on how they look at the situation or how you can adapt their mindset to create new beliefs and attitudes.

Jump In –You can spend a lot of time dipping your toes in the water. However, the sooner you jump in, the sooner you will get used to the new experience.

Practice – No one likes the thought of role playing, or recording themselves, but practice is one of the best ways to improve and get better.

Use the Process – When there are well-designed processes in place, and they are followed consistently, the walls of limitation will also consistently expand. One example is the use of a well-designed sales process. When you know the next steps of your sales process along with the outcome of each step, you are more confident and comfortable in making it happen.

It doesn’t matter if you take large or small risks. What does matter is moving to the unknown that is outside your comfort zone. By taking action you will expand your comfort zone to achieve your Optimal Outcome.

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