Live Your Life to the Full!
Step out of your comfort zone and reach for the light.
Time to read: 3 min.
A new year, a new start full of positive resolutions. But you can only change your life when you move out of your comfort zone.Change begins where your comfort zone ends. True change is tough, especially in the beginning. The process can lead to feelings of uncertainly and fear.Without letting go of old ways, life remains the same. We end up following the same vicious circle time and time again.
How do I start?
- Baby steps. The path to living life to the full isn’t something that happens overnight; it is the step-by-step adjustment of an established route. This is a path you follow every day, where small changes in routine have more effect than immediate and complex transformation. You move forward by achieving these smaller goals and giving your self-confidence and consciousness time to grow.
- After a time, small steps combine to make huge leaps. These leaps snowball you towards your ultimate goal. Observing how tiny, daily changes produce lasting benefits is a wonderful experience. An incredible confidence-boost that brings you even closer to your new reality.
Our instinctive defence mechanisms (the physical brain) are there to protect us from the unknown. Only when we venture out into the unknown will this physical part learn to listen to our inner voice (gut instinct). The more these two parts are in tune, the simpler it is to make and stick to changes.
- By giving yourself time to reach the ultimate goal, you will experience less resistance from your immediate environment.
Opt for a New Life, stay in your relationship and raise your children. Is this possible?
Of course! By taking smaller steps in your daily life, the people around you are also given time to adapt to your new way of Life. They will experience and observe how you react and behave and have time to adjust to this fresh and positive environment. Seeing how your self-confidence and happiness grow and shine through, the people that surround you will often encounter the ripple-effect; they will be inspired by your change.
My tips for your first mini-leaps!
- Have a chat with someone you don’t know. Dare to make contact with people you think of as strangers. Most of us enjoy being spoken to. If you’re not sure about the other person’s reaction, it is quite easy to read body language and figure out whether that person wants to make small-talk or not.
- Make yourself visible. Take the plunge and speak out during a meeting or a workshop. Let yourself be heard and seen. Overcome the fear of not being good enough and the worry of what others might think. Living Your Life to the Full means being you. You have nothing to fear when you are strong.
- Take another route. This might sound easy but is a great way to get used to leaving behind old routines. By taking new paths, you introduce your physical brain to fresh sights and sounds. This makes it easier to adjust to other changes. Rethinking a fixed route needs focus. This tip will expand your horizon; you will make many new discoveries on your journey.
- Dare to eat out alone. A great goal for when the restaurants are open again is to book a table for one for lunch or dinner. Learn to be comfortable in your own company and enjoy a delicious meal without needing social support. Do something different every day.
- Make changes to your morning routine. Begin the day with a short walk or a few minutes of meditation. Prepare a breakfast that you don’t usually have. Wear a different outfit, make-up palette or accessories. Try out a new recipe. Listen to a genre of music you wouldn’t normally choose - classic or Latin, perhaps? Every single day dare to discover something new and in doing so, make yourself open to change.
- Expand your knowledge and level of consciousness. We should all be life-long students. This philosophy keeps us curious and excited about life. At the start of each year choose a new course or workshop to sign up for. A fresh topic or skill will ‘wake’ you and open doors to new experiences and possibilities.
And what if you get out of your comfort zone and there is no immediate effect? It’s logical that you start to doubt whether you have made the right choices.
Sometimes a new mini-leap doesn’t bring about the changes you hoped for.
At least, not straight away.Moving house, a career change, the end of a relationship ... all of these are huge, life-changing leaps that bring you far from your comfort zone; these changes usually need a lot of time before you start to experience the positive results.
Don’t try to assess a new situation straight away.
Take a step back.Whenever you are faced with new situations, you are growing. You are also learning about and absorbing the effects. It is the end result that counts; the immediate effect is less important.
Emphasis lies on your GROWTH and with growth, comes growing pains.
My advice? Embrace change. It’s OK to feel uncertain. Work on a solid life-structure as this is a wonderful source of support. Ask for help. Let yourself come first. Find a coach or a mentor who can help you to see your future in a clearer light.
But most of all, stay positive, believe, and keep moving forward!
Live Your Life to the Full!
If you have any questions, would like to share your feelings, or just need some advice, I am here to help. As a trained and experienced therapist, I support and guide many people through life’s transitions using a step-by-step process that leads to higher levels of consciousness, happiness, zest for life, and health.
I would love to help you on your journey.
This year, you can also book a personalised online session. This is the perfect choice if you need extra support as you set off on your journey.
Opt for a shorter session of 45 minutes or a longer, 90 minute session.
More info: click here.
In addition, I organise an online inspiration and meditation evening for like-minded groups at three-week intervals. These group sessions are hosted on Zoom between 7pm and 9pm.If you are interested in joining a group Zoom session, please contact me.
I wish you a day full of inspiration,
Lieve Plasch
Lic. Psychologist & driving force of Go4Balance.
