The Discomfort Zone

Posted on 8 October 2007

I am loathed to say the last week has been stressful because I am a life coach and I should now how to deal with stress, right?  ;-) I do think it’s far to say though that it has been trying, or possibly challenging if I want to use a better reframe

 

I am in the process of trying to get my website able to take credit card details so that I can accept pre-orders online for my new book ‘Don’t Ask Stupid Questions – There Are No Stupid Questions’. On top of that I have taken on 6 new clients in just over a week, had to prepare a speech for this Wednesday whilst trying to arrange to get back to the UK to see my mom who isn’t very well. My web guy has as usual been fantastic and ultra helpful which is more than can be said for the company that was supposed to be handling the transactions.

 

So I have been looking at different database management and shopping cart products and trying to balance the pros and cons of each. It soon transpired that none would do exactly what I wanted them to do so it was going to be a compromise.

 

As I went backwards and forwards trying to decide what to do for the best I started to feel uneasy and frustrated. I didn’t cotton on what was wrong at first but I was becoming irritable and snappy. I thought it was because I didn’t wanted to compromise and that I’d a right to demand the finest products on the planet designed purely for my benefit if that was what I wanted. It wasn’t that though. I really don’t mind compromising and I am a long way from being a perfectionist so that never slows me up.

 

Then about an hour ago as I sat here staring at yet another screen shot of a product that almost met my needs I realized what was wrong. I was outside my comfort zone. In fact I was in a different postal district to my comfort zone and I could barely see it scuttling away on the horizon. I shouted for it to come back but it just paused for a moment turned and gave me the finger.

 

The funny thing is, I frequently tell clients they need to step outside their own comfort zones but seldom do it myself. I don’t think that is from avoidance it’s just that not much makes me feel uncomfortable these days. Except that is, trying to learn something that I really don’t want to learn. I didn’t want to learn new software because I was used to my current database manager Constant Contact. However, the more I looked into things the more it became apparent that I would have to move, and a move would mean discomfort.

 

Now the realization is there I don’t feel quite so bothered. I’m not saying I relish the idea of setting off up yet another steep learning curve but if that’s what I have to do that’s what I have to do, so I may as well quit whining about it and get on with it.

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