A little while back I scanned through one of the 2,000+ eBooks on my hard drive to get an estimate of its value (the eBook, that is, not the hard drive). The book seemed indeed worthwhile, especially because the author presented me with an idea: One of the reasons many people fail to make money online (or offline in some entrepreneurial venture) is because they are reluctant to move outside their comfort zone.



I smiled. Another case of someone pointing a finger straight at my chest.

He explained that, in order to get something you want, you have to take certain actions that are not part of your regular routine -- that is, you have to venture outside that zone of comfort that consists of all those actions that are most familiar to us. (It reminded me of something else I had read somewhere: that people desire better lives, but they expect to get there without doing anything differently; in other words, they expect different results from exactly the same actions they take everyday.)

Inspired by the comfort zone insight, I took a little piece of paper, drew a circle and wrote the words "comfort zone" inside. Then, circling the little circle, I wrote the word "money" a number of times. Like wolves taunting a primitive man, who in turn huddles ever closer to the comfort of his fire.

Money, as the author explained, can only be found outside the comfort zone (where wolves also roam freely, to be sure, but let's stick to more pleasant thoughts).

I slapped some adhesive on the back of my picture, went into the kitchen, found a place for it on my idea wall, and looked around for my cup of tea.

I stared at the picture for a few minutes, lamenting my reluctance to venture outside the circle. Then it struck me: it's unnatural to go outside the comfort zone! And the reverse is equally true: it's the most natural thing in the world to want to stay INSIDE the comfort zone!

Still, the man from the eBook was onto something, that I could not refute.

So I grabbed my pen, leaned over and linked all the "money" spots together with dashes; no solid line, mind you, but mere possibilities of something that might be.

Then I stood back, as much appreciating my art work as the idea it represented. I definitely needed to venture outside my comfort zone, because the (big) money was definitely not inside it. But to sustain this effort, to locate the money, make some of it your own and to continue doing so, you need to do more than just step outside your comfort zone once in a while.

What you need, is to EXPAND your comfort zone. Start doing things differently. Take new actions, even if they are strange at the beginning, and even though you stare back at your comfort zone like a child staring back at his mother on the first day of school.

But as you take these first steps, imagine becoming comfortable taking them. As you talk to new people, or do new things, or start running with new ideas, imagine these actions becoming PART of your comfort zone. Imagine a day when all those wolves that now roam outside your cozy circle run beside you like protectors, like part of your inner circle.

Isn't that the more natural thing to do?