The Secret to Lasting Personal Change
By T. Patrick Phelps

There, wasn't that easy?

Now, what does that mean? To me, it means that all change, whether intentional, forced, or as a result of injury/pain/trauma, forces one to expand their comfort zone.  No growth can happen when in your comfort zone.

Imagine a dart board, where your comfort zone is the bulls eye.  Now throw a dart (representing a goal.)  If it hits the bulls eye, it is already in your zone and its realization is guaranteed and quite simple.  But if it falls beyond your zone, you need to somehow extend the range of your bulls eye.  You simply won't accomplish anything that you are not comfortable doing the steps needed to realize the goal.   If the dart lands just outside, then the stretch is not a hard one, but it will involve growth as you expand your zone to assume the new area of life into your comfort zone.   If the goal is very aggressive and falls well outside of the bulls eye, expect some significant growth and stretching!  The amazing thing about the comfort zone is that once it is stretched, more and more things become comfortable to you and, therefore, within your grasp. 

Going from someone who is petrified of snakes to being a snake handler is, as anyone would agree, a huge expansion of their comfort zone.  But, if the zone is stretched a little at a time, the fear begins to lose some its edge: bit by bit.  If you currently earn $20,000 and are 100 lbs overweight, setting a goal to earn $400,000 a year and have 9% body fat within a years time,  involves a tremendous stretching of your comfort zone.  You need to make very large changes to your execution, your belief structures, your approach towards eating and exercise, and many other life changes.  I believe that any goal that is significantly beyond your current reach should be scaled down.  Unless, of course, you have references in your past that allow you to have the belief that you can accomplish anything you decide on!  (Which we all can, by the way, but, again, believing this is quite a comfort zone stretch for most of us.)  The person afraid of snakes is not usually going to go from a place of intense fear to handling snakes without some smaller stepping stones in between! 

I am not suggesting that you cannot make a huge leap in increasing your comfort zone, for it happens all the time when someone has enough reason to make the change.  (Usually as a result of desperation.)  But most of the people I know make goals because they want to improve their lives, not because they have to.  It is also possible to reach a goal but never become comfortable with what it takes to reach the goal.  For example, I have a very ridiculous fear of heights.  For most of my life, even the thought of being more than thirty feet above ground makes me very, very nervous.  But I set a goal to take a ride in the tallest Ferris wheel in New York State.  I did it, and hated every second of it.  I didn't overcome my fear but I did overcome my resistance to doing things that, for me, are way outside my comfort zone.

One thing that is interesting about expanding your comfort zone is that in order to grow you have to expand one comfort zone (the zone of positive growth, expectations, beliefs, risk tolerance, etc) and you must shrink your zone of negative comforts.  For example, if your goal is fat loss, you need to expand your zone to include exercise and healthy foods while shrinking your comfort zone for junk food and laying on the coach for hours at a time.  Let me ask you, if you currently spend a lot of time laying on the coach watching TV and I was able to make laying around wasting time very uncomfortable for you, would you continue to lay around?  I am willing to bet that you wouldn't.  The only reason you do it now is because it is comfortable for you:  It is within your comfort zone.  Getting uncomfortable with junk food and excessive laziness will go a long way in helping you expand eating healthy food and exercising.  Take this same approach to any of your goals and you will create a multi-directional plan to accomplish your goals.

Want to earn more money?  Find out what you do now (what is within your zone) that causes you to waste money or time that could be put to more productive use, and get less comfortable with those activities.  More importantly, find out what your consistent thoughts and beliefs are about having an abundance of money, for what you think about most often are your comfort zone thoughts.  You wouldn't think thoughts that are not comfortable thoughts.  If you can become uncomfortable, you will shrink your comfort zone.  At the same time, decide what you need to do to increase the value you can offer to others, and work hard at including them into your zone of comfort.  Stretch your comfort zone.   In the end, I have found that no worthwhile goal lies within my already established comfort zone.  All my goals and desires require growth before they are realized.  Being aware that I need to stretch my zone of comfort prepares me for the journey.  Stretching your zone of positive growth and shrinking your one of negative comforts will certainly increase the quality of your life.  And in the end, having an even better life is what Personal Growth is all about!

Here is an easy way to see how comfortable you are with the idea of stretching your  zone:  Next time you go out to dinner, ask yourself three questions:

1. Am I going to one of the same few establishments I always go to?
2. Am I planning to order "my usual?"
3. Am I going to have the same as usual conversations?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of these, I suggest you do an easy comfort zone switch and go, try, or say something different.  If you were able to do that, pick another simple life change.  For example, try wearing your watch on the other arm than usual for a day.  Or try waking up 15 minutes earlier for a week.  Try starting your day by changing your routine around a little. 

Little changes like these are quick and simple ways to test your resistance and to get some positive references that you can expand your comfort zone. 

Remember, all your goals are beyond your current zone, so what is the sense of having goals if you're not willing to get out of your comfort zone?

Wealthy thoughts:
Changing Seasons - New Beginnings
By Lori Radun

Not every corner of the world enjoys the dramatic shifts in the seasons, but we can all use the changing seasons as a way to purge the old and start fresh.

Use this six step process at the end of each season and transform yourself and your life in new and exciting ways.

1. Clear Out the Old

Old what? Get rid of old clothes you and other family members no longer wear. Throw out or donate old items you do not use. Clearing out the old involves a process of decluttering every aspect of your life. Not only should you declutter your environments, but also your relationships and yourself as well. What old patterns or beliefs no longer serve you? What old behaviors or habits interfere with your goals in life? It's time to cast them out of your life. What relationships in your life are you struggling with? Maybe there are old arguments that need to be put to rest, or old feelings that need to be resolved. By purging the old, you make room for new growth to take place.

2. Take Time to Rejuvenate

End and begin each new season with a getaway that refreshes you physically, emotionally and spiritually. Take a long weekend by yourself or with a special person that fills you up. Do things you don't normally do for yourself. I recently spent a three day weekend with my mom - just the two of us. We shopped, talked over tea, and watched movies. One day we stopped for a manicure and luxurious pedicure. For me, it was like heaven to sit in a huge massage chair with my feet dipped in warm, bubbly water. Taking time to rejuvenate gives you energy and a fresh outlook on life.

3. Reorganize Your Life

Organization does wonders for your life. It simplifies, energizes and generally makes life run smoother. Take a look around your home. What needs better organization? Cabinets, drawers and closets are usually an excellent place to start. I recently reorganized my office. I rearranged the furniture, added more storage, updated my filing system and hung new pictures on the walls. For me, it helps me gear up for a busy speaking season and clears my mind to create new ideas. Reorganization can also involve creating new routines in your life. Now is the time to introduce a morning routine, chore routine, after school routine or any other new routine that would help manage your life.

4. Try on a New Focus

With a new season comes an opportunity to try new things or focus on something different. The purpose of this process is to grow and stretch you in ways that will bring about positive change in your life. Pick an area in yourself that you would like to develop. Perhaps you'd like to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. Maybe you're tired of living in fear and you'd like to cultivate courage. Perhaps your marriage could benefit from better communication or conflict resolution skills. This season another coaching peer and I have decided to work through a book together that will help each of us examine our personal relationship with money. Whatever it is, make a commitment to educate yourself, engage in personal discovery, and mature in your new focus.

5. Renew Commitments

Do you have commitments you've made to yourself or other people that have fallen by the wayside? Commitments to be on time, exercise regularly, eat healthier, and stop procrastinating are all examples of promises that can be renewed. We don't have to wait for a new year - a new season (or any other time, for that matter) is an excellent time to start anew. What commitments did you keep last season that you want to continue? I kept a very detailed and organized work schedule that significantly helped balance my life. I am committing to continue that in the new season. Take time to think about your life and the intentions you want to set for the coming season.

6. Set Goals

How do we incorporate all these new changes into our life? We set goals that enable us to reorganize, recommit, and refocus on growth. Looking ahead to the end of this next season, what would you like to accomplish by then? Make a list of 3-5 goals to focus on for the new season. Make your goals specific. I want to organize all my closets. Your goals should be measurable. I want to lose weight vs. I want to lose 20 pounds. Set goals that are reasonable and achievable. Ask yourself if your goals are realistic. Anticipate any obstacles that may stand in the way of achieving your goals - make plans to conquer those obstacles. Lastly, make sure your goals are time-oriented. Set an exact date your goals will be attained. By setting goals and mapping out the tasks it will take to accomplish these goals, you are increasing your chances of creating what you want.

The changing season is a new beginning - an opportunity to recreate your life.

1. Make money management a habit. Checking up on your finances every day or every week and making it a habit will help you in the long run.
2. Make time for exercise. Make time for exercise and keep healthy as all the wealth in the world won't matter if you can't enjoy it.
3. People first. In all your dealings, make people your priority - money can always be replaced but people can not.