What No One Tells You

You read all the books on entrepreneurship.  You followed blogs that celebrate the freedom of working for yourself, and finally decided to take the jump to start your own business.

However, what those articles and books don’t talk about is that after the enthusiasm wears off the long slow grind begins.  It becomes hard.  You wonder if you’ll ever reach your goal.  You question whether this was a good idea.

Good Enough

It’s during this time when progress is slow and hard, it’s easy to give up and “settle” for current career and life.

You start trying to convince yourself that your vision is unrealistic.  You begin thinking that things are “good enough”, so you can stop trying.

Make no mistake, “settling” is just another term for quitting.  Don’t give up on what’s rightfully yours – your dream, your desire for a better life, your God given right to have something better and to make a difference in the lives of your family and those around you.

Keep Pushing Beyond Your Comfort Zone

A proven way to keep from settling is to keep pushing beyond your comfort zone.  No matter how uncomfortable it becomes, it’s critical that you get as far from your old routines as possible.  The farther you get from your old way of doing things, the more likely it is that you’ll ultimately be successful.  This isn’t “rah, rah, mumbo jumbo”, it’s based in our biological make up.

As you move away from your comfort zone, you lose your sense of control.  This triggers the natural survival instinct that we all have.  In an effort to “reestablish control”, our brain drives us towards our goal so we can restore the balance we felt in our old routine.

Once a goal is reached, a new comfort zone is established.  Ultimately, the time will come to once again move forward.  Another term for this is  “growth”.

However, none of this can take place if you don’t move beyond your current way of doing things.

Need some help to keep you going? Use the ideas below to keep you moving away from your old life and toward the new one you deserve.

Remember Why You Start

Thinking about why you got started in the first place is a great exercise.  It remind you that the unhappiness which originally compelled you to move will once again become your reality if you settle for “good enough”.

Spend Your Time With The Right People

You are the average of the five people you spend your time with.  Think about what a powerful affect that can have on your life and goals.  If you spend time with people as motivated (or more motivated) as you, they’ll propel you forward when you feel like settling.

Here’s an even better idea: spend time with people who are more successful than you.  What you learn from them could significantly shorten the path to your goal.

Say Yes

When a new opportunity or experience comes along, jump at it (as long as it’s not harmful to yourself or others).  It’s so easy to say “no” to new experiences because they are, you guessed it, outside your comfort zone.

Constantly trying new things is a proven method to shatter old routines, allowing you to grow toward your goal.  Remember, success is built on continuous growth.

Now go shake up your life.

Angelo Lombardo is a senior executive at the Coca-Cola Company and a faculty member at HTA.