3 Ways to Quit Wallowing in the Mud

“There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” ~Carl Sandburg

A few questions: If it's Wednesday, do you know you're having pizza for dinner? Is it your practice to walk down the back hallway so you can avoid your boss's office? Do you always write with blue ink?

We're creatures of habit so of course we like our routines. They're comfy, familiar, make us feel safe. Yet that cozy safety can diminish our effectiveness. If we’re to become better, we've got to push ourselves beyond the borders of our comfort zone. Tim Butler, author of Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths, says, "Failure to get unstuck can put careers, personal life goals, and the healthy functioning of work teams or organizations at risk."

3 WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR COMFORT ZONE
(Hint: If zipping past your normal borders seems too hard a task to tackle, start with small efforts first...)

* Once a week, do something that isn’t “you.”

Use a pen with green or purple ink. Eat an exotic dish. Wear something with flowers. Walk in the rain. Attend a networking event. Comment on a blog. Sleep in or get up extra early. Tell someone "thank you." What’s important is exploring and experimenting. Without new influences and experiences, comfort zones become ruts where we’re stuck.

* Don’t let a month slip by without learning something new.

Figure out your iPhone. Take ballroom dance classes. Listen to hip hop. Read a business book. Attend a webinar. Look up the meaning of an unfamiliar word and use it in a conversation that very same day. Take a French lesson. Whether what you learn is big or small is up to you, just be sure to expand all your muscles: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

* Let go of something every quarter.

That sweater you haven't worn since college—give it to a charity. That slighted feeling you’re carrying around because Betty ignored you—write it down on a piece of paper, tie that paper to a helium-filled balloon and let it sail away, out of your head, heart, and life. That dress you’ve been saving for a special event—declare today a special day and wear it.

Decide if that one thing for you is an object, a feeling, a practice, or whatever else your personal baggage might be, and go for it!

Image credit:  Iowa Pathways