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Planning for Breakthrough Results - Getting out of Your Comfort Zone

Written by: Karen Kelloway

Article Overview: The author shares her insight and personal learnings on how to step out of your comfort zone for breakthrough results.

Planning for Breakthrough Results - Getting out of Your Comfort Zone

October 2008

Breakthrough Results - Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Starting in January 2009 I will become a regular columnist for Atlantic Business Magazine. I’m really excited about having my articles published in front of the largest audience of business readers in Atlantic Canada. The funny thing is that as I’m preparing to write my first column, I’ve been noticing a few butterflies mingling with that initial excitement. Taking my column from an audience of about 200 on my personal distribution list to an audience of over 30,000 is giving me a small knot in my tummy – which is just a bit ironic considering that much of my coaching practice focuses on supporting others to step out of their comfort zones.

One of my colleagues refers to this as a time of creative tension – the distance between where you are now and the end goal. And whether that goal is chairing a big meeting, delivering a keynote speech, going for a promotion, or something else that feels like a personal stretch, there is a feeling of pulling elastic as we challenge our previous boundaries and break through to even greater success and fulfillment in our careers.

I believe it’s possible to calm the butterflies and channel that energy into not only getting the results we desire, but enjoying the process. And for me, that means getting going and writing my first column! But before I do that, I wanted to leave you with a few questions for reflection.

Here are a few thoughts for you to journal on to help you manage the creative tension between where you are now and where you want to be with a particular project or issue.

Questions for Reflection:

1.What do you know now about the project? Write out the facts (ie. 200 people are attending the speech, the topic is x, etc.)

2.What’s missing? What else do you need?

3.What support do you need?

4.What is your intention in doing this? Why do you want this?

5.How will you know you’ve been successful?

6.What personal value does this goal align with? (identifying this helps us stay grounded
and gives it more meaning)

7.What are your next steps in preparing? What are your timelines?

8.How are you going to celebrate your success?

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Article Tags: atlantic business, atlantic canada, boundaries, breakthrough results, business magazine, business readers, butterflies, columnist, comfort zone, creative tension, distribution list, fulfillment, funny thing, initial excitement, issue questions, keynote speech, knot, personal distribution, personal value, reflection 1



Related Forum Posts
Re: What's 1 word to describe what your business will be in 2012 - Breakthrough
Non-medical homecare franchise business model - If anyone is interested, there was an interesting article in the NY Times of March 29, section C page 5, regarding this industry, and particularly two franchises, SarahCare and Comfort Keepers. If you cannot get your hands on a copy of NYT, or view it online, let me know, maybe I can find it online and post the link here.
Non-medical homecare franchise business model - Can anyone provide insight and information regarding the non-medical homecare franchise business model? How saturated is the current market? Also, please provide any specific insight or experience with Comfort Keepers, Synergy Homecare or Home Instead. Thanks for any information that you can provide.
Re: How do you make the most of your day? - Planning, To Do lists, and deadlines all help me. Also being self critical of my own time management helps me raise the bar. I still check email too often though.
Re: Success - I think it was Gary Player who said the harder I practice the luckier I become when it came to his success as a world class golfer. Planning and dedication to a task can make all the difference between success and failure. MichelleJ


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