A Comfort Zone – We all have one.
A bit like us, they will be all different shapes and sizes. Some of us will never step outside of the self imposed walls while others will happily jump over the stile we have laid against the boundry for easy access to the place where we push ourselves.
This is not an email to berate you or make you feel guilty if you like and choose to stay entrenched in your zone of comfort…there is no right or wrong and I am not judging…I am just writing this as it is a timely reminder to myself that I am stepping way outside of mine at the moment. It is something I have been putting off for over 4 years!
I like to think I often step outside of my Comfort Zone…in fact I like to think I have done it so often that the outer perimeters of my Comfort Zone have actually become quite comfortable!
Yet, my recent ball that I have started to roll, (well more of a throw into next year) is catapulting me so far out of my comfort zone I can hardly see it!
It’s my book!
Recently, I actually sent an email to Bev James, who happens to be the book agent of Joe Wicks, and many other famous faces.
I met her recently in Edinburgh, at a Joe Wicks Book Tour event and Joe introduced us (go me!).
Joe had already told her that I do funny videos and motivate women (go me again!)
We chatted for 10 minutes and she listened as I tried to explain my book. I thought I would go straight in and let her know my moon shot goal was to get it into WH Smith Airport shops…which apparently is notoriously difficult!
The reason I want it on those particular shelves is that I would just love for women to read it on their sun-loungers on holiday, particularly after having spent the previous 3 weeks panic dieting to get that nonsense bikini body. I want them to have epiphany after epiphany and then come home and never go to a diet club or do a fad diet ever again!
Anyway, back to Bev and the book event! I told her that I had written a proposal, an introduction and the first quarter of the book. She agreed that I could send it to her and she gave me her business card. She did tell me that whilst the email was in her name it wouldn’t be her receiving it. She did tell me the name of the person who would actually read the email, but my menopause brain forgot after a nano second.
I thought I would be cheeky and ask If I could send her a paper copy too…as I much prefer to read hard copies…and she agreed! Now whether she will actually read it is not really the point, and I have no control over that.
The point is, I actually emailed it! I haven’t sent the whole book proposal yet, I have just made contact with the woman whose name I can’t remember…why do I always have to be stick to my brand of ‘It’s a Professional Set Up????” Sometimes I am sure it may be slightly inappropriate…but it is what it is, and I am what I am.
Nevertheless….the ball has started rolling…and I started it….and it feels slightly, well more than slightly, scary. I am scared of what it may lead to, more than what it won’t.
I did include in my verbal waffle to Bev that I wasn’t actually fearful of my book being a failure….I am actually more fearful of it being a success. How mad is that? I can’t believe I even admitted that to such a highly thought of book agent…but it is the truth. I fear all the judgement, or at least the judgement that I assume will happen. Yes, I know I am breaking one of The Four Agreements, by even making assumptions in the first place…but it is a real fear for me.
I need/want to finish my book proposal soon and I will then email a copy to the woman with the forgotten name, although if she does respond to the email I sent that will be one mystery cleared up…and if she doesn’t respond…I am going to send it anyway…with no name again!!
I am also going to make a hard copy…in a ring binder and everything. I may well send it with a box of quality tea bags and a large box of Lindor Balls!!
So that’s my comfort zone obliterated…it may not seem a lot to some people, and that’s the beauty of comfort zones…they are different things for different people at different times of their lives.
Have a think, what can you do to take yourself out of your comfort zone…IF you fancy a trip out. If you don’t then that is fine, but it could be something as small as trying your next steak rare instead of medium!!
It really doesn’t have to be a big thing, like climbing Everest base camp…start small and see how it feels. I dare you to do a walk the other way round, you may be surprised at how you see things differently!!
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