 
|
|
By Dr. Sharon House, Master Certified Coach
Often what we call procrastination, a lack of motivation or boredom is really just being trapped in the shell of our own comfort zone. Our comfort zone offers a safe haven, a trusted beaten path for us to follow. However the comfort zone can easily become, over time, our liability zone!
There is a story about the great magician Houdini that aptly illustrates how we mentally create our own locks and limits. The story goes that Houdini was imprisoned in a specially designed new prison cell, and challenged to escape.
"This will be easy." he thought. "I've done it a hundred times before."
Using a small metal strip he had concealed in his clothing, he struggled for 2 hours to open the lock. All in vain. He was weary and frustrated, and finally slumped against the door frightened and feeling very, very stuck! Suddenly,the door swung open! It had never been locked! He just thought it was.
Ah, the sweetness of our comfort zones! That cozy place we hang out at that's routine, predicable and safe. From routine "maintenance" activities like getting ready for work in the morning to expressing certain emotions easily to the food we eat, the comfort zone offers a safe haven, a trusted beaten path for us to follow. As long as we stay within that area, we feel secure...we know what to do.
However useful the habit of routine can be for us, the comfort zone can become, over time, our liability zone! When we continue to do the same thing day after day, month after month, we soon find ourselves languishing in a motionless rut. Our actions and reactions become very predicable. Our thinking becomes lethargic and rigid. Our perspective narrows.Our focus blurs. Our energy is low. We are stagnant, stifled and bored. Our creativity comes to a screeching halt. Each day is a carbon copy of yesterday.
Often what you call procrastination, a lack of motivation or boredom is really just being trapped in the shell of your own comfort zone. Like a turtle, you pull inside and stop moving. Stop growing. Stop seeking. You rationalize your position with excuses and justifications and put a limit on it. You lock it up with a "guarantee" that consists of two extremely powerful words:"I can't". You paint yourself into a corner with your fears and inhibitions. You resist change.You avoid risk. Your senses are dull. You may feel as if you are suffocating. You notice the dull ache of emptiness. You feel paralyzed by your fears,real or imagined! Pretty soon, living inside the safety and comfort of your shell, devoid of challenge or change, becomes a habit just like brushing your teeth in the morning or tying your shoes. Easy, effortless,predictable, familiar! You've retired from the excitement and challenge that purposeful living offers. Your comfort zone has become your liability zone! As W.H. Auden once said, "Home to supper and to bed. Shall we like this when we are dead?"
Ready to come out of retirement? Stick your neck out? Move out of your "liability zone"?
Next week: "Ten Things You Can Do to Get Out of That Rut, Part II of II".
===
Copyright 1995/2000 Sharon House, Master Certified Coach
Internationally known as "The House Doctor with your "Prescriptions for Success", Dr. Sharon House is a creative, intuitive, and solution oriented master certified personal and business coach. Supportive, down-to-earth and quick witted by nature; straightforward, knowledgeable and progressive in her multiple fields of expertise by design; she has a knack for getting to the nitty-gritty simply, quickly and efficiently. A published author, trainer, mentor coach for coaches, and hypnotherapist, this fun-loving soul with a soaring entrepreneurial spirit invites you to visit her sites, http://www.InstaCoach.com and http://www.Housecoach.com or contact her at: housecoach@instacoach.com
Welcome to the place where you can finally get to work on your dream!
HowMuchJoy.com
|
Workplace Toolbox Newsletters Quotes |
|
|
 |
| Expect the Unexpected (Or You Won't Find It): A Creativity Tool Based on the Ancient Wisdom of Heraclitus |
 By Roger Von Oech. "The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus was famous for his brilliant and provocative sayings. Today, more than 2,500 years after they were written, his ideas about life, nature, and the cosmos remain as startlingly original as ever. In Expect the Unexpected (Or You Won't Find It), Roger von Oech uses thirty of Heraclitus' epigrams as springboards to dazzling creativity. Treating each saying as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, he supplies amusing anecdotes, mind-bending riddles, hidden jokes, and intriguing questions designed to topple old habits of thought and fire the imagination. |
|
| Your Heart's Desire : Instructions for Creating the Life You Really Want |
 By Sonia Choquette. "Nationally known intuitive and spiritual leader Sonia Choquette shares the nine universal principles for creating the reality of your dreams. Step by step, with practical advice, specific exercises, and modern-day parables, she teaches readers to make the changes in thought and behavior that will lead them to the attainment of their most heartfelt desires." |
|
| Affirmations for Artists |
 by Eric Maisel. "Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those who do not court the creative muses. This book of affirmations is compiled with the special needs of artistic persons in mind. Arranged in alphabetical order by topic (Disbelief, Imitation, Talent), each page includes a handful of relevant quotations by writers, musicians, actors, or other creative people, a commentary by the author, and, of course, an affirmation." |