You Can('t) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
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Good day, good people. It's crazy that I have a podcast. Sometimes it just hits me. I be having moments where I'm like, wow, I can't believe I did XYZ or I can't believe I did XYZ. Like when I lived in New York, I would often think to myself, I can't believe I live in New York or I can't believe I'm in grad school. Like, wow. And like right now, like I can't believe I have a podcast and I've been doing this for

years, since 2019. What? I think my goal is going to be to get to 200 episodes and then we'll see how I feel from there. But I'm just amazed that you've been here with me. So thank you for tuning in. Thank you for sharing your time with me.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to like create this space where people can come and share their experience with their limiting beliefs and you can get nuggets of wisdom from everyday women. Like, thank you. Thank you. I really sincerely mean that. I really appreciate that you're listening. But right now, I think I might want to talk about this limiting belief that you can't get out of your comfort zone.

I was just listening to and editing another episode that'll be coming out pretty soon and it just brought up this idea for me about how I have this desire to remain in my comfort zone but I know that it's time to branch out. So this is going to be a solo episode. If you don't know me, I'm Lauren. Hey, nice to meet you.

I welcome all imperfectly phenomenal people to this podcast, but let's get into the episode. Here we go. I was just having Dear Diary, Moesha-esque type vibes. I've often thought to myself that, you know how people say you need to get out of your comfort zone? Well, I've thought to myself that I think that statement is, you know...

overrated because why shouldn't I just have the opportunity to be comfortable? Like why do I always have to grind and strive and do this and do that? Why can't I just stay in a zone of comfort? It can be a beautiful place and I do believe that there are times when staying in your comfort zone is good for you. Staying in a place of comfort, sitting in peace,

But for me, I think now I am getting to a place where it's time to go to the next phase of life and time to get a little bit uncomfortable in order to grow. Now, I don't feel particularly ready for this. I really, really don't. I feel ready in the sense that I know it's time to do this. I don't necessarily feel equipped

And like, honestly, like I'm good enough. That's probably it. So as I've done all these episodes, I've realized that the main theme between all of them is this feeling of not being good enough for whatever reason. And for some reason, I think that I might not feel good enough. But as I sat there in silence in that one moment between when I said that and just now, the thing is, I know I am. And same thing with you in the moments where you feel like you're not good enough.

I did an episode years ago and I remember the reframe for that limiting belief was good enough for who? Or like good enough for what? We often leave that phrase good enough wide open with no real metrics attached to the word enough. But what does that actually mean? What is that metric for good enough for what for who? I'm about to go into...

this area of filmmaking? Like what? How did I get here? Someone please tell me how I got here. I've been podcasting for all these years. I realized that I've been hiding behind a microphone and should maybe attempt to show my face. And in an attempt to show my face, I started making a docu-series. Now that I've made this docu-series, well, in the process of editing now,

or at least about to start editing again, I've realized that includes film festivals, that includes discussions, that includes so many things. Like the thing about growth and getting out of your comfort zone means that you're trying something new.

When you're trying something in your comfort zone, you know your variables, which is why you're comfortable. You know what the outcomes are likely going to be, which is why you're comfortable. You know what to do to mitigate any risk, which is why you're comfortable. However, when you go into this new space of leveling up and actually allowing yourself to grow, that just comes with so many unknowns, right?

Another recent episode that we just did was you can't move into the unknown confidently. You do have the tools to get through it. You have the ability to learn. That's really a big chunk of what you need. The ability to learn and the ability to keep going, the ability to ask for help, the ability to tell people, I don't know, can you support me? You don't have to have the money.

but you're smart enough to find it if you need it. You don't have to have all the answers. There's someone else who does. You just need to find them. And every single thing that you have done before this moment where you're going into this growth season and going into something new, this can be relative to any part of your life, whether it's career, a big move, going into the unknown. You've done stuff like this before.

This wouldn't be your first time trying something new, not having all the answers. And every single time you did it before, you figured it out. So if you figured it out then, you can figure it out now. And then you will land in a new place of comfort that you can rest in, that you can bask in, that you can experience peace in. But you gotta start going to the new. It's time for something new. I'm kind of excited about it.

And I'm also nervous, but it's going to be good. I know it's all going to be good, mainly also because I know I want to use so much of it to glorify God. And if that's the purpose of it, bruh, bruh, I can't, it can't go wrong. Another thing about this going into this new season and getting out of your comfort zone is for me, like how much do you trust God? Put your trust in God.

The plan is already laid out for you. Walk the path, walk the plan, and don't try to do it all yourself. Because if you try to do it all yourself, it ain't going to work right. Trust in divine timing. Trust the process. I know that that's difficult to do, but it is so key.

I think something else that I see with people sometimes when they are afraid to get out of their comfort zone is this fear of taking the leap. And sometimes you literally just have to do it. You have to rip the bandaid off. You've been sitting in that same spot for how long now? Ugh, come on, man. It's time to move. You have to actually take the leap and it's a leap of faith.

Faith in yourself and faith in something greater than you. Faith in the things that made the sky, the sun. Faith in the thing that made water that keeps life sustained. Like faith, come on, let's have it. Get you some. Take the leap. Just do it. Even if it starts with a small thing. Me coming back to this podcast again after a year of being off,

It was a lot of baby steps. One day, I would literally just open my email and then close it. And that would be my win for the day. One day, I would edit two minutes of a thing. And then I'd get distracted by Instagram or something. But that was my win for the day. Little things add up over time. Especially they say if you do something small, let's say five minutes a day, right?

um, for every day for the rest of the year, you are 365% better than you were before you started. Small actions each day add up over time. Take the leap. You can do it. I know you can. And honestly, this is where we embrace our imperfection.

The really nice thing about this podcast being called Imperfectly Phenomenal Woman, and I like live that as a brand, the way I get to give myself so much grace and embrace imperfection, it makes everything so much better. You can be imperfect and phenomenal at the same time.

and allow yourself to grow imperfectly on the path to get to where you're supposed to go. I think another thing that I want to add here as a reminder is to give yourself grace as you get out of your comfort zone and go into this new unknown growth period. Give yourself grace between your knowing and your readiness.

Because like I mentioned, something I've noticed is sometimes it's really hard for people to take the leap, right? And sometimes you're really just not ready to do it. Sometimes you're really just not ready. Sometimes you have to push yourself to just take that jump. But then other times you do have to give yourself grace as you sit and wait to be truly ready when the time feels right. That leap is at the end of ready.

No, it's not. I take that back. That leap is probably often sometimes right before somewhere before ready if you're going to take the leap leap. But in reality, I know people and some of y'all just waiting for your ready. You can't sit and wait for ready forever, bro. And please note, I do both of these things. I do leaps and I do readies. But give yourself grace between your knowing and your readiness.

Give yourself grace as all your imperfections become exposed as you're doing this new thing. Give yourself grace during your learning period and find new opportunities for comfort along the way. That's all. I hope you have a lovely day, listener. If you want to connect, you know where you can find me at lauren.e.will on Insta. Or you can find me on

at IP woman podcast on insta that's woman with an a feel free to shoot me a dm if you need some accountability on it like if you know that it's time for you to take some kind of a leap if you know it's time for you to get out of your comfort zone just shoot me a dm like yo if I know I need to change I know I need to do something I'm just messaging you just to make a public declaration that I'm starting the journey it's time to do something new

because anything you're not changing, you're choosing. Chat with y'all next week. Farewell.