We are creatures of habit. Many of us desire routines, rituals, stability. It is dangerous to be lulled into the complacency of habits. We need to continue to move forward and push ourselves out of our comfort zone.
I write this primarily for myself. Fear of failure has long been the excuse I have provided for not trying new things or taking risks. When will I learn to let go of this excuse? There is certainly something I can do about it and I don't believe the answer lies in all of the sudden taking one large risk. Instead, it is about taking little risks daily. Almost like building up to running a marathon. My neighbor recently ran in the NY Marathon and he had been in training for many months. Did all that training prepare him for the physical and emotional strain of the full marathon, well, no. And he didn't win it either. Yet, he completed it. He will never forget the experience and he is a new person because of this experience.
What can you do today, this week, this month, to begin training for your marathon? What small risk or one step can you take to push yourself out of your comfort zone?
Here's what I am going to do. Instead of driving the known route to a destination, I am going to take a new route to each destination I made this week. Sounds simple or stupid, but as I think about how I am going to do that, it is developing something. I will not take anything for granted.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
