Facing and Embracing Discomfort: Transforming Fear into Growth

0:09 Hey, my name is Teresa Hildebrand and this is Organized Chaos. We take a deep dive into living with intentionality, focusing on what's important in our lives so we can truly feel our best. It may feel chaotic at times, but with a little organization, the right mindset and a ton of self-love, we can still thrive. Join me as we talk to other busy moms and experts who will share tips and strategies to help you reach your goals. Hope you enjoy this episode of Organized Chaos. Now on to the show. Hey friends, welcome to another episode of Organized Chaos. At the time of this recording, we are in the second quarter of the year, so I want to do a quick check-in.

0:49 So how are you doing? How are you doing as far as your goals? How are you feeling, and do you feel like you're gaining momentum or do you feel like you're falling into some setbacks? The reason I'm asking that is because today I want to talk about embracing discomfort, because wherever you find yourself, there's always either a next step you need to take or another level you need to achieve, and there's always this discomfort that comes along with it. Now, nobody wants to feel uncomfortable, like we're always trying to avoid that, but it's so important when we are self improving, when we are going through a personal growth journey, but it's really hard to do because we are always seeking comfort.

1:39 So what I want to talk about today is how you can embrace that and the reasons why it's so important to do that. Because if you're always trying to avoid discomfort, you will never achieve what you want to achieve, and I know that's a bold statement, but it's true. Everyone who has succeeded has always stepped outside of their comfort zone, and today I'm going to give you the steps on how you can actually make this your superpower. So let's first try to understand what discomfort really means in the sense of your personal growth and your self-improvement, and you just trying different and new things.

2:20 So discomfort refers to that feeling of unease and anxiety or some type of tension that comes up when we are confronted with situations or challenges that just aren't familiar with us, and it's usually something that is outside of what our norm is. But in this context, as I mentioned before, it plays an important role in serving as the catalyst for change and development. Now, this doesn't mean that we completely eliminate fear. Again, this is something that is going to come up from time to time when we start to step outside of our comfort zone and embrace it.

3:00 That means that we're often presented with opportunities for learning, self-discovery and growth. We kind of flip the narrative on that. So embracing discomfort actually allows us to confront those fears, overcome the obstacles and really kind of develop this resilience and adaptability. Okay, so why do we do this? I think it's really important to also establish that, like why is it that we have these comfort zones and stepping outside of them is so hard? It's our cognitive dissonance. We experience discomfort when we hold contradictory beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. So in essence, we're forced to reevaluate our beliefs and our behaviors, which then leads to self-improvement and personal growth.

3:46 So let's say someone has always dreamed of starting their own business. But they have this deeply ingrained belief that stability comes from having a secure job with a steady paycheck. But at the same time they find themselves unfulfilled and just wanting more autonomy and creativity in their career. But as they start to think about owning their own business, they experience cognitive dissonance because their desire for entrepreneurship conflicts with their belief in safety of a traditional job. On one hand, they're excited about pursuing their passion, about being their own boss and kind of creating something meaningful, and on the other hand, they fear the uncertainty of the financial risk and potential failure that's associated with owning your own business.

4:35 That's associated with owning your own business. So this is a major internal conflict that creates discomfort and tension as we grapple with the conflicting thoughts and emotions that come along with this. So, from my experience because I actually went through this myself like I would rationalize my need or desire to be my own boss by kind of seeking out other success stories of other people who have kind of taken that leap of faith, or sometimes I would downplay the risk of leaving my full-time job and working on our business, now I just couldn't make a different decision. I could have justified staying in my current job and convince myself that that is what was offering security and stability, even if I wasn't satisfied.

5:23 However, there was something that happened and I'm not going to go into details, but that actually changed for me, that mindset changed for me and I realized that no, it didn't offer stability and security and it was almost like well, I might as well step outside of my comfort zone like big time, and just do it, just leave my job and work on our business. So I didn't just challenge my limiting beliefs. I was actually presented with information externally that made me take that decision seriously and just do it. So now that we understand what stepping outside of your comfort zone really means, let's move into recognizing what your comfort zone is.

6:12 So what constitutes a comfort zone and what are some of the common signs that you may be stuck in it? So it's pretty self-explanatory to say that you're living within your comfort zone. It's just basically a state where you feel familiar, safe or at ease. It's where your routines and behaviors kind of require little effort or risk and it's providing kind of this sense of security and stability. So here are the common signs that you're living within your comfort zone. So number one is you follow the same daily habits and avoid anything that disrupts your usual pattern. Two you fear change. You resist trying new experiences or taking risks because of the uncertainty and the discomfort that it brings.

7:00 Number three is you lack growth. You kind of remain stagnant in your personal and professional development. You're kind of unwilling to change and learn new skills. Number four you avoid challenges, so you shy away from situations that really require your effort and perseverance or just kind of stepping outside of that familiar environment. Number five is you rationalize. You kind of justify staying within your comfort zone by convincing yourself that it's safer, it's easier and it's just more convenient than taking risk. And number six you have low motivation.

7:41 So you lack the drive or the enthusiasm to pursue big goals and you kind of settle for the mediocre. So what does embracing discomfort look like? So I'm going to share a few things that'll help you push past kind of those fears and self-doubt and kind of that resistance that comes with stepping outside of your comfort zone. So one is you want to just acknowledge and accept it. You recognize that there's like fear and doubt and that it's normal emotions that everybody experiences. So kind of accepting them as part of the process can actually help you move forward. Another thing is like really setting clear goals.

8:22 You want to be very specific and have these goals that kind of align with your values, and having clarity about what you want to achieve can really motivate you to overcome those challenges. And one of my favorites is taking action. So take those small, consistent steps towards your goals, even if they feel uncomfortable or daunting. Action breeds confidence and momentum. And lastly, just seek support. You know, surround yourself with supportive friends, mentors or coaches who can encourage you and just kind of guide you through some of those challenging times. A different perspective, an outside perspective is always great when you're fighting against stepping outside of your comfort zone and throughout all of this, it's really important to celebrate change, because every step that you take outside of that zone of safety and security, you're growing.

9:22 So each one of those steps should be celebrated, and it doesn't matter how small they are, it doesn't matter if they're significant. What matters is that you're actually taking action. So I'm going to leave you with a question, and that is what is one thing you can do today that is going to allow you to step outside of your comfort zone, and I want you to think of it as an opportunity rather than something really scary. Now, if you follow me on social media, I would love to get a message from you. Send me a DM and tell me what that is. Even if you just identify it, you don't have to do it. Even if you just identify it, you don't have to do it. Even if you just identify it. And if you actually do it, please celebrate it, because it's a really big deal.

10:05 All right, I hope you have an amazing day and I will see you next week.