“I really want to make more money,” she said, sighing heavily.  “But I find it difficult being comfortable asking for what I’m worth.”

This woman was missing the point. I don’t know anyone who feels comfortable raising their prices or asking for a raise. Yet, underearners will sabotage their success rather than endure the discomfort.

It’s astonishing how fiercely we cling to our so-called Comfort Zones. What a misnomer. These places are anything but comfortable. They’re just familiar and predictable.

Whenever you decide to do something different–whether it’s making more money or losing more weight—you must enter the Discomfort Zone–the space between where you are now and where you want to be.

The only way to reach your goal is by stretching beyond what feels comfortable to what may seem impossible, doing what you think you can’t do.

Success carries with it a strict stipulation: feel the fear, endure the discomfort and go for it anyway.

There’s nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear is normal. We all have it. Fear is the natural reaction to real or perceived danger. But the operative word here is ‘perceived.’

I once got an email that gave me a good laugh while vividly making this point. “I can jump out of an airplane, but making more money, now that’s a REAL challenge.”

From this day forward, I urge you to find ways to stretch on a regular basis.  It is by pushing yourself that you empower yourself.

What can you start doing right now that will take you out of your comfort zone? Leave me a comment below.