Your Intuition Zone is Where the Magic Happens
If you’re like most people, I’m betting you’re pretty comfy within the boundaries of your comfort zone.
It’s the default place most have learned to operate from because it’s safe and easy (which is particularly true for introverts!).
At the same time, you probably have big plans for yourself, which means you might be feeling a bit confined by those very walls. You recognize that everything you desire is outside those walls, which leaves you wondering if you’ll ever be able to turn those big plans into reality!
Exploring outside your comfort zone isn’t something you’ve challenged yourself to do, so it’s only natural that you question the idea as you cling to those feelings of safety and comfort. After all, that’s where you can be yourself, right?
But here’s the thing about staying in your comfort zone, not only do you prevent yourself from growing, but you also cut off your connection to your inner self, intuition, and self-trust.
Eventually, being stuck in your comfort zone feels frustrating and only serves to amplify your insecurities.
You want to put yourself out there, but it feels scary, and you’re not even sure how to go about doing that, right? This means you doubt you have what it takes to create the life you so deeply desire.
Putting yourself outside of your comfort zone is what builds your belief in yourself! You have to learn to trust yourself and be brave enough to go beyond what’s comfortable, because whatever it is that you desire that feels out of reach…you won’t find it within the confines of your comfort zone.
With that in mind, I want to introduce you to what’s outside your comfort zone, so you feel excited to explore beyond where you are now. Because when you learn to recognize where you’re currently operating and adjust accordingly, you can quickly shift into that zone of growth, confidence, and trust.
WHAT LIES OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
I believe introverts have a lot of value to add to this world, and my mission is to empower introverts just like you, to speak up and out with confidence.
If you’re like most introverts, your comfort zone becomes your security blanket because introverts don’t like to be the center of attention and prefer to stay in the background. By understanding the opportunities that lie well within your reach outside of your comfort zone, I hope to inspire you to level up and start believing in yourself and what’s possible for you on an entirely new level!
ZONE 1: YOUR COMFORT ZONE
I probably don’t need to tell you what your comfort zone is, right? Since you’re human, you likely spend a significant amount of time lounging in this energetic space, so it’s familiar territory!
Your comfort zone isn’t necessarily a bad place. It’s where you can catch your breath and lean into what’s easy while you recharge your batteries and plan your next step.
But, if you stay in your comfort zone too long, you stop taking chances, play it too safe, and stagnate.
When you’re stuck in your comfort zone:
Your life and/or business feels like Groundhog Day with every day being a repeat of the day before
You spend a lot of time on ‘busy’ work that keeps you behind the scenes
You feel more comfortable sticking with what you know instead of trying something new
So, how does it look to work from this safe zone?
You tell yourself that you can’t go on video, or attend networking events → “I’m an introvert, so I can’t network!”
You don’t pitch ideas that could open you up to new opportunities → “They’d never choose me, so why bother?”
You turn down opportunities to put yourself out there → “I’m just too busy and don’t have time for that right now.”
Your inner critics rule your comfort zone (even though you feel protected and safe)! The primary job of your inner critics is to keep you safe and locked within your comfort zone (which is why I call them your Inner Protectors).
However, YOUR job is to recognize when your inner critics are winning, so you can course-correct and slide back into the driver’s seat (this is your life and your journey, after all!).
When you recognize that you’re stuck in this first zone, you can do something about it! Because if you don’t regularly challenge yourself to uplevel and step outside that safe space, you’ll never reach your goals!
But to do that, you have to get to the place where the pain of staying in your comfort zone is greater than the discomfort of leaving it!
ZONE 2: YOUR INTUITION ZONE
If you want to grow (who doesn’t?!), you have to step outside of your comfort zone; no exceptions! Opportunities that push you toward those big dreams and goals only appear in that outer zone.
Being outside of your comfort zone is the only place where you evolve and get stronger.
This is new territory, and challenging yourself to work from this zone allows you to strengthen your relationship with yourself, tap into your inner wisdom, and develop unshakeable trust in yourself. This is where growth happens!
When you try new things, you get to learn from both your successes AND failures! The world becomes your playground!
Where the comfort zone is ruled by your inner critics, the Intuition Zone is ruled by your inner wisdom (or intuition).
Here’s how it looks to operate from this zone:
You set challenging goals that stretch you → “I’ve routinely been getting 2 clients a month, so I’m going to challenge myself to add on 4 new clients next month.”
You embrace feeling uncomfortable instead of avoiding it → “I’m going to sign up for that amazing event where I’ll meet new people, even though that feels scary!”
You actively seek new opportunities or ways to try new things → “I’m going to take some classes to expand my knowledge and meet new people!”
You don’t fear failure; you see it as an opportunity → “If this doesn’t work out, I’m excited to learn what doesn’t work so I can try something else!”
You reject the advice and all the “shoulds” that don’t feel right to you → “I know everyone says I SHOULD post on Instagram every day, but that leaves me exhausted and burnt out, so I’m only going to post 3 days a week.”
When you begin to run your life and/or business from this zone, you build your confidence as you accomplish new levels that you previously thought were out of reach.
So, how do you know when you’re working from your Intuition Zone?
It feels uncomfortable (but in a GOOD way)
What you’re working on feels challenging
It feels scary (but not terrifying!)
But, there is one thing to keep in mind about working from your Intuition Zone: at some point, what was once uncomfortable and outside your comfort zone, will become comfortable and within your comfort zone.
That means as you tackle those uncomfortable tasks by putting yourself out there, it becomes familiar. Once it’s familiar, it gets easier, which means it’s no longer challenging. When that happens, you’ve mastered that task, and it’s no longer in your Intuition Zone.
If you don’t stay on top of it, you’ll find yourself right back in your comfort zone and your growth lagging.
Aim to operate from your Intuition Zone regularly!
YOUR OVERACHIEVER ZONE
You may not realize it, but if you go too far outside of your comfort zone, you bypass the opportunity to follow your intuition and grow. Instead of working from your Intuition Zone, you’ll land in, what I call, your Overachiever Zone.
It’s an ambitious tactic of your inner critics because they trick you into thinking that you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone, but all you’ve done is skip past your intuition zone (which is the growth zone!). They do this because your inner critics are setting you up to fail.
In doing so, you likely fail to meet your objective, and you “prove” to yourself that your insecurities and doubts are accurate, which reinforces your inner critics’ messages that it’s safer to stay in your comfort zone.
Here’s how this presents itself in your business:
Your goals aren’t realistic, and they’re beyond “stretching” → “I’m going to earn $50K in 2 months, even though I’ve only ever earned $1,000.”
You blame others when you don’t achieve your goals → “They didn’t give me a chance, so it’s their fault this didn’t happen.”
You take failure badly and as a sign that you don’t have what it takes → “See! THIS is why I don’t like to stick my neck out there!”
How do you know when you’ve bypassed your Intuition Zone, and you’re operating in your Overachiever Zone?
It feels terrifying (too terrifying so you procrastinate or feel like a failure before you even start)!
The goal feels too ambitious and unachievable
If you fail to meet your goal, it validates your self-doubt
Ever heard the phrase, “Go big or go home!”?
If you follow that mantra, you’ll likely land right in the Overachiever Zone:
“Go Big” - shoot for the stars and don’t waste time on something smaller that’s achievable, but isn’t as ‘sexy’
“Go Home” - too scared to go BIG? Then retreat to your comfort zone! (or scurry back there when you don’t achieve that BIG mission!)
So, what do you do if you find yourself in the Overachiever Zone? Give yourself space to reign it back in, but whatever you do, don’t retreat to your comfort zone!
The beauty of being in your Overachiever Zone is that you can easily identify the bookends of your Intuition Zone. Recognize what it looks like to be in your comfort zone AND Overachiever Zone, then aim for the middle ground.
* * * *
Now that you’ve learned about all three zones, use that insight to learn to recognize where you are at any given moment.
If nothing feels challenging or scary, you’re likely in your comfort zone.
If what you’re working on feels a little scary, but it’s invigorating, and you feel a sense of inner peace, then you’re likely in your Intuition Zone.
If your goal feels too scary or out of reach (go big or go home), then you may be in your Overachiever zone.
Eventually, you’ll start to recognize when you’re in that sweet spot of your Intuition Zone, and that’s when the magic will start happening for you.
If you’re struggling to get yourself out of your comfort zone, or even the idea sounds terrifying, then that’s why I’m here to help! Jump on a complimentary, no-obligation clarity call, and, together, we’ll figure out a path to get you into that growth zone where you can enjoy the confidence and trust that comes from putting yourself out there!