Does the very thought of stepping out of your comfort zone send quivers up your spine or set the butterflies in your stomach in motion?   Why is it we are so fearful when we start moving in that positive direction that we so deeply desire? 
Whether it is moving to a new career or starting your own business, returning to school to study a program you are passionate about, or having a new relationship.  All your desires can be quickly derailed when you entertain the pesky can’t, should, and what if’s that can creep into your mind.

Through recent advances in brain science, researchers have been able to track the energy of our thoughts moving through the brain.  What they have discovered through observing different areas of the brain that light up in response to specific thoughts is that when it comes to change we all want to avoid it.

Anything we do that is a regular part of our day becomes patterned, habitual and “hardwired” and takes less mental energy to perform. When we start trying to step out of our comfort zone and make a change, even though it may be what we really want to do, our prefrontal cortex is stimulated. 

The prefrontal cortex is the executive centre of the brain responsible for planning, reasoning and making decisions, and it is linked directly to the amygdale.  The amygdale, often referred to as the primitive brain, is what controls our “flight or fight” response.  So when we overwhelm our prefrontal cortex with new and unfamiliar ideas, the amygdale connection kicks in and generates the emotions of anxiety and fear. 

So what can you do to offset this?  One of the best approaches is to make your unfamiliar, novel idea of changing your career or starting your business more familiar.  For a new idea or change to become less threatening our prefrontal cortex needs a lot of repetition.  Talking about the change you want to make will help.  Write about it in a journal, talk to a friend you can trust, or seek the guidance of a coach.

Vision is another effective tool.  The images we create in our minds are powerful.  Our previous experiences shape the mental images that we are both attracted to and repelled by.  If you previously changed jobs and your move was unsuccessful, this will have had enormous impact on your mental image of changing careers. 

Create a vision board of pictures and statements that generate positive emotions around the changes you want make in your life.  Compelling images that reflect what you want to do, what you want to have and what you want to be. This will help you alleviate some of your fear and anxiety and lower your perceived risk in taking that leap of faith.

Finally recognize that your prefrontal cortex is always keeping watch for signs of danger.  If you have expectations or make statements that feel unrealistic and which you don’t really believe in, your prefrontal cortex notes that and triggers a red light alert.  It will seek to find other indications of false pretence and in turn, triggers the amygdale to respond with that “fight or flight” response.  Being aware and recognizing what is happening on a physiological level can help you understand that fear of change is not just you and your lack of will.

We are wired to avoid things which we perceive as frightening, uncomfortable and painful.  But remaining in our comfort zones doesn’t allow us to grow. Staying comfortable can create that sense of restlessness, discontent and stagnation.  Yes stepping out of our comfort zone is going to be challenging and uncomfortable in the beginning.  The good news is you don’t have to jump off the deep end to a make a change.  If you are not ready to take that leap of faith, simply start by dipping your toes in the water. Talking about what you want and creating new positive images can be the refreshing kick start you just need.                                          

I am so excited to launch my business and website for Second Wind Coaching this week.   I believe all of us seek to find happiness, inner peace, fulfilment and that sense of realizing our potential.  Life coaching offers an opportunity to help us realize this.

My focus at Second Wind Coaching is to help individuals who have stumbled on their journeys, fallen off their paths and are looking to find their way again.  This may include individuals who want to find their greater purpose in life, are seeking new direction in their career or have goals or aspirations they still want to achieve but find stumbling blocks have made this difficult. 

The seed for my business was planted back in 2008, after listening to Jack Canfield, successful coach and co-author of the books “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.  I was inspired by his positivity and simple practical ideas from how he started his day, to how he approached achieving all the goals and aspirations he wanted in his life. 

It wasn’t long after that I stumbled across Jack Canfield’s book, “The Success Principles-How to Get from Here to There”.  Over that summer I spent many hours reading, reflecting, and practising many of the exercises outlined in his book.  It was an amazing journey for me, and I loved exploring the concepts he highlighted. 

One of my favourite exercises was creating a vision board.  It was eye-opening for me to see how using the creative process took me out of my limited loop of thinking.  What landed on my vision board was so interesting, and even more so, was what happened over the next couple of years.

On my vision board landed pictures of me racing competitively, travelling to Florida with my family, owning a cottage in P.E.I., becoming an author and a life coach, and learning to sing!  My family, who were very curious as I created my vision board, especially when it came to the singing picture.  Yes indeed, the woman that had never grasped how to clap a beat, sing a note in tune or understand a stitch of music, had an image of a woman singing on her vision board.

At that time I had no clear idea how I would make any of these visions on my board come to life.  When I initially scanned for opportunities I certainly did not see any clear pathways.  Nonetheless I decided to put my vision board up in my home office where I would see it regularly and then I carried on with my regular daily life.

Without knowing, what I was actually doing was putting my intentions and aspirations out to the universe and letting the universe take care of the details. My part was to recognize and seize the opportunities when they passed by me. 

I later learned from a neuroscience perspective why vision boards work.  When you flood your mind with positive images of what you want, the reticular activating system (RAS) of the brain starts looking for patterns to match these images.  The RAS acts as your brain’s filter and it determines what you will focus on from the billion bits of information flooding your senses at any given moment. When you are clear about your goals, the RAS searches your world to bring you information relevant to your desires.

In 2009, I found a “Learn to sing program for adults” at a local studio and started taking vocal lessons.  The promotional material for the program quoted, “Have you ever wanted to sing but were told you can’t”.  I just knew this was a perfect fit for me.  Two and half years and two recitals later, the my family were congratulating me on my success.

Another opportunity that came across my path was a new course being offered in Halifax to train students to become certified life coaches.  Again recognizing the synchronicity I seized the opportunity, applied and was accepted.  In 2010, I became a certified life coach through the Centre of Applied Neuroscience.

This week I am excited to continue my journey with realizing my dream of launching my own coaching business.  It has taken a little while for this seed to bloom but when you align your thoughts and actions with your vision, it will come alive.  I want to especially thank my teachers, Mandy Wintink and Ann Perry, for their inspiration and encouragement they have given me along my journey.

“Till next time, keep dreaming.  What would BE on your vision board? And don’t be afraid to dream big.