Is it Time to Take a Leap of Faith?

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Take a look around you today. Do you ever notice anyone who seems like they are walking through a thick fog every day? They typically have to push themselves out of bed, drink a cup or two of coffee and drag themselves out to a day that doesn’t bring them joy.

By the end of the day they feel depleted and don’t feel like doing much else besides watch TV, play on their cell phone and go to bed to do it all over again the next day. They are usually cranky and not much fun to be around. They aren’t taking risks or reaching for their dreams.

Maybe you are saying that is your life right now. And that is okay unless you want it to be different. Maybe you have known this all along but had no idea how to change it. Have you felt like your mind is always racing, unsure if you are living life to the fullest? Do you constantly feel an inner conflict? Do you feel that you are meant for something bigger? Are you constantly comparing yourself to others?

When people aren’t feeling like they are living life to the fullest, it usually appears in fatigue, anxiety, jealousy and/or depression.

Maybe you or someone you know is questioning her career, relationship, location, or even hair cut. She may be feeling stuck thinking about who she is and what might need to change. Is it time for her or you to take a leap and live differently? Here are a few simple steps to take toward a leap so it doesn’t feel so big and scary.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

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They say that the magic happens outside of your comfort zone but why is that? Interestingly enough, one of the first studies on the idea of the comfort zone occurred back in the early 1900’s. Two psychologists, John Dodson and Robert Yerkes, explained that a state of relative comfort created a steady level of performance. To increase that performance, we need to be in a state where our stress hormones are slightly higher than usual. They called this space, “optimal anxiety”, which is just outside of our comfort zone. So many of us are afraid of change because we are creatures of habit. We feel comfortable in our routine, even if it’s boring and lonely. Today try to do one thing out of your comfort zone because it will increase your productivity and energy. For example, try to say hi to someone you don’t really know or sign up for a class. Make it something that you are a little afraid of but know it could be good for you now and in the future.

Track Your Time

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At any given moment of your day, how do you feel? If you’re not sure, it may be worth tracking your time for a week or so. Think of it like a time tracker at a business. Many businesses have their employees track their time and what they are doing so they can better manage their business. Well, we are managing our lives and we deserve to know how much of our time is spent on things that don’t bring us joy.

In your phone or a journal, create columns such as activity, time spent and mood. Check in with yourself at least three times per day to fill out your tracker. After a few days you may notice some patterns and realize that changes need to be made. For example, if you notice yourself checking e-mail often and it makes you feel tired and angry, you can either check it less often or make it more fun by playing music.

Stop Comparing, Start Being Confident

It can be hard to feel confident when we are struggling in one or many areas of our life.

It is also difficult to feel confident in ourselves if we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. You may be noticing yourself comparing your job, house, car, clothes, partner to someone else’s. But when you compare, you despair. The definition of despair is to lose hope or confidence. It’s not fun living life comparing and despairing. When we become jealous, it doesn’t help us live the best versions of ourselves. We are all unique and have different paths. This week try to focus on what makes you feel confident and happy. Maybe it’s cooking, dancing or wearing a flowy summer dress. Pay attention to what makes you feel good rather than looking around at what everyone else is doing. It may also be helpful to spend less time on social media because it’s been known that it is a place where you can easily judge yourself and where you are while looking at other people’s “lives”.

Build a Supportive Friend Group

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Many of us are surrounded by people who aren’t reaching for their dreams or taking risks in their day to day lives. They usually complain about things and may even doubt your ideas and vision. These are the type of people you want to spend less time with if you have positive changes you want to make. It’s easy to get brought down and give up if you aren’t around people who believe in you and cheer you on. It has been said that we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with. Take a minute and think about who you are around. Are they uplifting or do they bring you down? Try to think about what interests you and find like-minded people to spend more time with. You may be able to find them at a yoga class, church, art class, book club or through mutual friends.