Consider this, anytime you’re changing what is FAMILIAR to you, it will likely feel uncomfortable or simply unfamiliar, in other words, leaving the comfort zone. Now even if you’re sick & tired of something in your life and you’re changing it, you’ll still likely experience some degree of fear or discomfort. See, to the subconscious mind, you’re changing certainty and certainty equates to safety – which is the top priority to the subconscious mind. It’s almost as if you’re sending up smoke signals to the subconscious mind to be on the lookout of this new terrain you’re entering.

It might be a new relationship, new career path, health changes…it could also show up when you’re growing your business or doubling your income. Whether you see the change as positive or negative, the fact that you’re changing the familiar and certain, you will provoke feelings of discomfort.

So what to do when those uncomfortable feelings show up?

Here’s a few things that I utilize to help me:

1. Get Curious. What’s this about? I like to get curious about my fear and poke around to see what is creating it. I like to take the observer or similar to the reporter and ask more questions versus freeze or shutdown. Get curious about the feelings versus taking them as fact. Feelings are not facts – they’re simply indicators and/or teachers.
2. Get Moving. Many times changing up my environment and/or getting my body moving helps me release the fear energy and clear my head. It can help to shift your focus and the fear versus staying stagnate or stuck in it. There are many benefits to exercise, specifically the natural endorphins that the body produces that create a calming effect.
3. Get Support. Having a coach, friend, or accountability partner who you can talk and connect with to support you during change is a key success strategy. Having outside insight that you respect as well as the social support to be your cheering squad will help significantly with staying the course of your goals and working through your fear versus being stopped by it.

I also like to: pray, meditate, read, utilize essential oils, eat healthier foods, journal, listening to uplifting music, do things that bring me joy, go hiking, time in nature, workshops, coaching, and time with loved ones.

What’s on your list?

I invite you to create a list of things that support and inspire you as resources to nourish yourself during the uncomfortable feelings.

By recognizing that fear and feelings of discomfort are normal when working through change and new territory, we realize that it’s part of the change process. We no longer have to assume that fear means something is wrong or that it’s a “sign” yet rather more often it’s a sign that you’re human and alive experiencing a normal reaction to change.

If fear is a biggie for you, I recommend the book, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyways” by Dr. Susan Jeffers as she covers thoroughly the aspects of fear and how to handle it.

I cheer you on as you take on new changes & new experiences for yourself!

All too often, goals will be set with great passion and desire for achieving a major objective. This could be doubling one’s income, writing a book, losing 100 pounds, or organizing the entire home. These are great and grand goals to have, yet in supporting you to set yourself up to succeed, I invite you to apply the MTO formula by Raymond Aaron to help increase your odds and pleasure with goal setting and achievement.

When we set goals that are a huge stretch, we will likely either overwhelm ourselves and back off the goal, not believe it’s truly possible, or perhaps not even start the goal process in the first place.

When it comes to goal setting, I invite you to think of “scaling” your goals for optimum success. When it’s scalable, we can see the goal in chunks and as a series of progress versus an all or nothing, black and white scenario.

Consider each of your goals – sales, income, health, relationships, organization, etc. Now, apply the MTO formula to setting goals in those areas.

MTO stands for: Minimum, Target, Outrageous. 

With each goal, identify, what’s my minimum achievement level that I must/will do no matter what? What’s my ideal target that I’m reaching for? What would be my outrageous, over the moon level?

For example, let’s use health as a goal. You’ve been setting high goals with your exercise and it’s just not happening. Perhaps it’s too unrealistic with your time constraints or you simply aren’t in the habit of it.

Minimum: Exercise 2X a week for 15 minutes a session

Target: Exercise 3X a week for at least 20 minutes a session.

Outrageous: Exercise 4X a week or more for at least 30 minutes a session.

Do you see how you could do the same thing for your sales calls? Organizing projects? Writing that book?

Doesn’t that feel doable for at least the minimum level? And once we get moving – we get into momentum with our goals – our odds go up of achieving even more.

This strategy is especially helpful if you feel that perfectionism is undermining you in following through and taking action. You can always commit to the minimum level and in doing so you’ll often hit the target level and in some cases, your outrageous goal.

By offering yourself the opportunity to make your goals about progress and not perfection, you keep yourself motivated and in the game of goal achievement. As you achieve one goal or level, you will feel inspired to go on to achieve more. Momentum is now in your favor and your confidence is higher, inspiring you to believe in and go for your outrageous goals!