Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

A friend gave me pause to think recently when he said, “You live life outside your comfort zone. We should all be so brave.”

I thought that was an extremely interesting thing for him to say.

I generally don’t feel very brave.

We had been talking about trying new things and I shared I like to lead with curiosity. That when I can set aside my need to be good at everything I do, especially right off the bat, I can embrace being a beginner. It’s magical to not have to be good at new things. To take my time learning. To enjoy the process regardless of the outcome.

That’s all quite handy because I’m insanely curious. There are so many things that I want to learn how to do. And if I let my fear of trying new things get in the way (or, really, my fear of failure), I’d miss out on some wonderful opportunities.

In the last year, I put my need to be perfect aside and embraced the magic of trying.

Sometimes I win: I earned certifications in Nonprofit Management and as a Master Gardener, I learned to weave baskets and make stained glass, I found and built community - and a passion for sharing journaling - by showing up and posting on LinkedIn.

Sometimes I don’t get what I think I want, like that big job I interviewed for last year.

But in every experience, I learn a lot. And that’s what it’s all about.

My journal bears record of all I try and what I learn. We talked a few weeks ago about using journaling for goal setting, and as a tool for acknowledging and celebrating every bit of progress we make.

That drives me to keep going. Seeing my wins compound on the page gives me the courage to keep trying.

Am I living life outside of my comfort zone? Maybe. Or maybe just on the edge.

Doing the things little bit scared feels just right to me.

---

Weekly Journal Prompts:

Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week.

• When was the last time you tried something new?

• What was it?

• What was the experience like for you?

• What did you learn?

• How did you surprise yourself?

• What’s your general philosophy about trying new things?

• What new things would you like to try?

• How can you develop a beginner’s mindset?

• What are you letting get in the way of trying new things?

• How can you conquer them?

---

One Journaling Idea I Love:

Lists. Lists of lists. Use your journal to capture all of your lists: places you want to go, people you want to connect with, things you want to learn, all of your favorites, and more! It’s a good way to open your creativity and keep track of all the important things you want to remember.

---

Where You Can Find Me This Week:

• I went live on LinkedIn with Katie McManus last week. Here’s the replay if you weren’t able to catch it.

• Registration is open for my May Journaling Group. We’ll focus on self-discovery. Learn more here.

• I share journal related content on LinkedIn every day by 8 am Eastern. Visit me there for stories, journaling ideas, and more!

• I have a website! Visit me at GoodThingsComeToThoseWhoJournal.com

• I’m always reachable by email.

• My teenagers are doing their best to avoid me on TikTok…

• Need more journal prompts at your fingertips? I have a collection of more than 375 that I’ve curated that can be yours. Find them here.

---

Interested in Working with Me?

Need help designing a journaling routine that works for you? Looking for ways to freshen up your practice? Have questions about journaling and the role it can play for you? Want to bring a journaling workshop into your workplace? Please reach out! I love helping people just like you work magic in your lives through journaling!

Happy Journaling!