The Comfort Zone
I was recently contacted by a friend whom I had lost contact with. He sent me an email explaining why he had not been in contact. I was amazed at all the changes he had made in his personal and professional life. I was surprised to hear that he left his job after several years and decided to try something different. For the most part, his job was probably secure until he decided to retire. This is a person who was level headed and always played it safe. But like me he desired something other than job security. The desire to get up every day and do what you love is such a strong feeling that it is worth the risk of trying something new.
I shared with him my own personal and professional transitions. He was astounded how my outlook on life had changed. He could tell by my response that I was truly happy with all aspects of my life. He replied, "You sound so different." It was as if my contentment was leaping out from the computer screen. I was no longer that person stuck in a rut without any idea how to make a change. I simply decided what I did not like about my life and decided to change it. For so long, I was bound by self-doubt and self-pity that paralyzed me. I felt like life was just happening to me and I had no choice but to surrender to it. Once I realized that it was up to me to find out who I was and what I needed to be fulfilled, the other pieces fell into place. I'm not advocating that everyone go out and make a drastic change but make changes that in some way move you to a different level personally and professionally. This can be small changes that give you self esteem and a boost in confidence. According to C. DiMarco in Moving Through Live Transitions with Power and Purpose, "Part of what can interfere with your ability to move through the world with confidence and certainty is the fact that often you may feel as though it is not permissible to make a mistake" (p.50).I would advise you to get out of your comfort zone and find out what you can do.
It has been almost two years since I embarked on my journey to fulfill my dream of advancing my education and making a career change. Looking back at this experience, it was by no means easy. The experience gave me a sense of empowerment. I felt like anything was possible if I believed in my own abilities. In such a small amount of time, I have teaching positions at a community college and an online university. Often, I read my professional journals and wished that my name would appear as one of the writers. I have spent the last twenty years in the profession and surely I have learned something that someone would find insightful. Last month, I fulfilled another dream of mine of being a writer. I feel fortunate to share my experiences with other HIM professionals in a weekly blog. Looking back at the person I was two years ago, I never imagined that I would be writing articles for a healthcare magazine. I have to ask myself, "Who is this person?" I am definitely out of my comfort zone.