YEAROFYES
Consider the risks of saying no
Think about your life a year from now . Are you happy being in the same place , or are there goals that you want to have made steady progress towards and that will make you feel accomplished , happier , and more fulfilled ? If so , the secret is to say yes . When an opportunity presents itself and you feel that nervous knot in your stomach , reframe it . The mind and the body struggle to tell the difference between nerves and excitement , which means it ’ s possible to find relief by telling yourself you feel excited rather than anxious . The more you do it , the more you ’ ll believe it , and pretty soon you ’ ll be ready and willing to give an immediate thumbs up .
Stepping out of your comfort zone essentially means accepting that life is not always a calm ride and therefore deciding to take a leap . Once you ’ ve made peace with the fact that sometimes you might feel a little like you ’ re on a rollercoaster instead of carefully treading the same steps , you ’ re ready to transform and flourish , the psychological benefits of which include personal growth and greater productivity . Here ’ s why …
Failure breeds success . Trying new things inevitably leads to occasional failure - and not only is that OK , it ’ s normal ! Plus , if you ’ re mindful about the situation as a whole , the chances are you ’ ll learn from it and better yourself anyway . You can ’ t know if you ’ ve never tried .
New skills can be discovered . Leaving your comfort zone means you get to use all of your skills to the fullest - even when you ’ re not sure what exactly they are . Writing , fashion , music , dance , sports , business , art ; just entering a new realm and giving it a go means you ’ ll no longer be scared to ‘ get it wrong ’ and you ’ ll also find out exactly what you are capable of .
Change will be your friend . In times of uncertainty or doubt , repeat this as a mantra : ‘ nothing is constant but change ’. If you make a habit out of it , you will be prepared for any challenge , even those that life imposes on you from time to time .
Hopefully , you now have a sense of the far-reaching positive results that stepping out of your comfort zone can bring about , so just in case you ’ re wondering how you can put it into practice in your daily life , here ’ s a list of easily implementable actions that could lead to long-term change .
• Carpe diem ; sit back , take a look around and learn to appreciate the beauty and fragility of life .
• Buy a piece of clothing you wouldn ’ t usually go for .
• Say yes to an invite .
• Change up your routine . Work in a new area , wake up at a different time , eat something new for breakfast .
• Start a new hobby or rediscover an old one .
• Set one goal per month , maybe as a gradual challenge .
• Make quick decisions . Go with your gut and don ’ t overthink it !
• Examine your fear , rationalise it , and say no to it .
• Develop a new point of view on a current subject .
• Listen to a new genre of music .
• Declutter ( tedious , but oh-so rewarding !).
• Have a screen-free day .
Steve Jobs said : “ Remembering that I ’ ll be dead soon is the most important tool I ’ ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life .” While that might be a little grim , there ’ s a nugget of wisdom in there . Do you really want to look back on your life and regret all the chances you didn ’ t take ?
Essentially , life is short ; so say yes . The next time an opportunity presents itself and you feel in your gut that you should reach out and grab it , we want you to be brave and embrace your Year of Yes ! You owe it to yourself and yes , you ’ ve got what it takes . www . insidekent . co . uk • 17