Want to improve yourself and grow out of your comfort zone?
Whether it’s talking about money, dealing with conflict, or adapting your communication style to suit the person you’re speaking to, you can make significant changes by simply choosing small, incremental steps, and achieving them.
Will it be awkward? It will if you’re doing it right. At least for you, anyway.
A lot of the time, when you’re feeling awkward during an interaction, it feels uncomfortable to you because you’re doing something new and different—but the other person may not think it’s an awkward situation.
In order to get better at anything in life, you have to hold yourself accountable to gradual, long-term growth.
It requires deciding the steps you’ll take for that growth, then holding yourself accountable for doing them one at a time. That’s how you grow at anything, whether or not it comes naturally to you.
Get uncomfortable
You’ll probably feel awkward, but even if you do, if you’ll acknowledge that awkwardness (yes, out loud!) it automatically makes it less of an awkward situation.
For me, I don’t really feel awkward talking to people in general. But in the past, talking about money has made me really uncomfortable. I’ve felt very awkward bringing it up.
Of course, if I want to make any sales in my business, guess what I have to do? I have to talk about money at some point. Can’t get around it.
When I felt uncomfortable about doing that, I would actually just tell people during those conversations, “Hey, I know this can be awkward. I’m not super comfortable with these conversations, but we’re going to have to talk about money at some point.”
When I said that, my awkwardness didn’t evaporate, but it did get better. And now, I rarely have to say it anymore! I’ve trained myself to be able to talk about money with strangers just by doing it over and over again.
Ask for feedback
Early on when you’re making changes like that, it’s helpful to ask what you could use improvement on. Asking for feedback is another thing that can be uncomfortable, but can really help you grow.
And you do have to be open to hearing whatever feedback you ask for—regardless of whether or not you agree with someone’s perception, that’s their perception, and you can’t argue with that. There’s validity to what they’ve said. Unless they’re just lying to you, I suppose. But don’t ask those people for feedback!
Asking for feedback and pursuing gradual, incremental growth are two things that have really helped me get to where I am in my business. And of course actually making the changes that people have recommended! Once you have knowledge on how to improve, you have to execute.
What are the places in your life where you could benefit from gradual, step-by-step growth and listening to feedback? It might be awkward at first, but it won’t be awkward when you’ve achieved your goals!