Let me ask you something. 

Do you ever feel like you’re just not going anywhere in your career? Do you feel like you’ve been there, done that, or maybe the days are starting to feel less exciting and just a little too repetitive. Do you feel like there’s more you should or could be doing in veterinary medicine?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, first let me assure you that you are perfectly normal! Also, if you answered yes, you are probably stuck in a comfort zone. 

We’re over a month into 2024, and I’m sure most reading this (maybe all because let’s be honest, if you’re reading this then you’re a go-getter) made some sort of New Year’s goals or resolutions. You at least probably spent a little time in reflection on what you want out of this coming year. 

Whether you’ve been religiously grinding in the day to day, basically doing the same thing for the last several years, or you’re in a fairly new place but you’ve started feeling like you’re in a groove…maybe that groove is forming a rut, there’s always room for growth and to ask “What do I really want in this next season?”

If you want change or more, then let’s do it! So where do you start?

Let’s start with getting honest about where you are. Then, I’ll provide some tips on how to figure out where you want to go. Maybe what you’re feeling is more than a comfort zone issue, but I’d advocate that even if it is, you can still grow through what you’re going through.

Reflect On The Current Circumstances

I led into this article with the premise of these bullets below, but take a few minutes to really ask yourself: 

• Are you satisfied with your current professional situation, or do you feel a sense of restlessness, dissatisfaction, and eagerness for the next thing?
• Do you find yourself thinking things are just “good enough,” and have stopped feeling the, at least occasional, pull to achieve or offer more?
• Does it feel like Ground Hog’s Day where things getting pretty repetitive or routine? If so, how does that make you feel? Thankful or annoyed?
• What emotions come up when you’re faced with any change or challenge at work? Content? Confidence? Nervousness but excitement? Motivation? Resistance? Frustration?
• When was the last time you put yourself in a situation that required you to grow, learn new skills, or gain a different perspective or knowledge?

Now, I’d be remorse if I didn’t direct us from this point into the WHY. It’s one thing to identify where you are, but in order to properly assess and redirect, you have to figure out WHY you are there in the first place. 

This is a deep area that’s well served with personal coaching, so if you find yourself really stuck on this part, then reach out to me!

Here are some questions to expand on possible reasons for WHY you are where you are:

1. When faced with newness, change, or uncertainty at work, where does your mind go? What thoughts come up that make you feel the way you do?
2. If identifying the thought seems too hard, then try this: 
   • How do you react? We asked what emotions come up when faced with change in the last section, but here we’re asking what actions you do or don’t take.
   • Next, based on the reactions you have, pick an instance or two and ask what you were thinking in that circumstance. Get brutally honest.
   • For example, if presented with the information that my clinic would be changing practice management software, I might feel overwhelmed. My reaction would be verbally express my hesitation and all the rational objections. I might procrastinate watching the tutorials and not prioritize meeting with the new PIMS sales rep. My thoughts that led to the overwhelm and those actions might be “We shouldn’t be doing this.”, “The old PIMS was just fine!”, “This is going to cause so much chaos and backup with appointments. I’ll be here all night doing my notes!”

Now, pardon the brief interruption for a PSA:

It’s 100% normal to fear or resist change! Our brains are exquisitely made to keep us safe. And uncertainty around an outcome, even though it might not mean death or harm, reads as possible trouble to our brain, so we will naturally avoid what we don’t know. No judgement here, just get curious and examine your thoughts. 

A lot of the resistance we feel when faced with change comes from doubt and uncertainty, but majority of the time when we dig deep, we find that those things are rooted in fear. Fear of failure. Fear that we won’t be appreciated or loved. So, what do we do? We don’t take the risks that are required to update our situation. 

It’s also important to know that you can live in the “AND.” Meaning the answers to the prompts above are not mutually exclusive! It’s possible to be frustrated and at the same time motivated by the discomfort of that emotion. Been there for sure and go there often!

So, where are you currently standing?

Feet and mind sunk deep in a comfort zone? Or, are you battling up and out, refusing to settle for “just ok” and striving for the next version of YOU? 

Hopefully, the things above will help give you insights into your mindset. Now, let’s talk about what you can do if you want to get unstuck and outside your comfort zone. 

1. Envision what you want. 

This is something I coach private clients on, and I swear this is a FOUNDATIONAL thing that I wish everyone would learn. I think that some people are more inclined to do this either by nature or nurture, but it’s something that can be learned and practiced. 

Get in quiet place, sit down, breathe, and visualize your success. Imagine what your ideal situation looks like. What does your heart really want? And get super detailed with it. I’m talking down to things like: What are you wearing (Jake from State Farm lol)? What expression is on your face? What does the room or environment that you’re in look like? What are your days like? Who is there with you? What are you doing?

Don’t critique what comes up, and my advice would be to write it down. Every piece of what you envision is a clue, even if it doesn’t make total sense or form a perfect picture right now. 

Now, not only imagine and define what success looks like to you, but focus on what it FEELS like? When you pair a feeling to a vision/thought, you give it power and it sets your brain up to be that much more likely to make it reality.  

2. Set Goals.

Based on what you envision as a definition for success and fulfillment, what goals can you pull from that scene or story? I’m not the biggest fan of the “R and T” in SMART goals because there are things I’ve accomplished that at one point in time, weren’t even in my realm of possibility. If you had asked me about it or said it was to be my goal, I would have crossed it out as “not realistic.” That said, goals are meant to make you stretch, so if they seem a little hairy-scary, then you’re probably doing it right!

Also, if I had always put a hard and fast time on every one of my goals, I might have given up on them too soon. Sometimes ideas need to be scratched, and sometimes things just don’t happen on your planned timeline for good reason. So set a time frame so your brain knows you mean business, but if the outcome isn’t achieved by the deadline, that just means assess, determine what’s working vs what’s not, and modify the timeline. 

3. Celebrate Small Wins.

This one is hard. It’s easy for us to recognize and appreciate the big milestones. They feel super good and come on, they’re super obvious, but I’ll let you in on a secret. The more you acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, even the small ones, the better you will get at noticing all the movement you’re making. Tony Robbins always says “where focus goes, energy flows.” Said another way – what you focus on expands. When you start to see yourself showing up and inching towards something better, something you decided was your vision of the future, it changes your identity and the way you view yourself. It changes your experience of life.

And sometimes it’s just recognizing yourself for showing up, giving it the good ole try, and doing the things you didn’t really want to do in the short-term because you knew it would pay off in the long-term.  And listen, if you do this, on those days when you feel like you’re not making any progress, you will have evidence that that is so not true. You will see that you’re taking steps leading in a certain direction.

Speaking of steps – you can take it step by step when it comes to expanding out of your comfort zone. Massive action is a beautiful thing, but you don’t always have to make big changes all at once. Chances are, your brain will freak out and find a way to sabotage progress when you’re not used to it. It’s like desensitization in behavior modification – consistently push your boundaries by keeping it just at, or just past, the threshold of what’s tolerable. Embrace the discomfort and the more you rep it out, once you see progress, the easier it will get. Eventually it’ll become second nature and just who you are.  

4. Never Stop Learning. 

I’ll admit this can be a strength turned weakness for me. I seem to always be hungry to learn. And especially after becoming a mom and marveling at how as humans we are so skilled in trial and error learning from day one, I’ve realized it’s an asset we need to keep for life.

Side note – sometimes you get valuable knowledge in areas you least expect it. Einstein said “I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.” It’s blown me away how I can be doing something totally unrelated to my work, and an idea comes to me…most of the time it’s in humbling moments of motherhood. LOL 

Point is, exercise curiosity in anything – a new hobby, a book, a lecture – and always be open to where you can gain new knowledge or skill. You’ll surprise yourself in what comes up that can be applied to another area of life. 

5. Seek to build relationships. Aka – Network, network, network!

If you want to be somewhere you’ve never been before, it pays to know someone who’s already been where you’re wanting to go! Get IN THE ROOM! I promise, like I promise, this is a big deal. Even if it’s scary or you feel like an imposture, get yourself into spaces with other people who inspire you. If you can’t get to them in person just yet, then seek their input from podcasts, youtube, etc., however you can get it.

Also, connect and collaborate with new people both personally and professionally. Similar to how learning can be applied across aspects of life, it’s pretty cool how people you meet in one moment can contribute to your growth in other ways or far into the future.

It’s also essential to find people who are on a similar path to what you want to be on. Maybe they’re not light years ahead and on inspiration level like discussed above, but by seeing other people’s action, picking their brains, sharing ideas, and talking about your respective journeys, you can gain priceless value. Oh, and even find a source of accountability and encouragement in your excursion out of the comfort zone! Win-Win!

Playing the ‘What If’ Game

If you’re thinking “This all sounds good, but I don’t know if I can”, then I’d challenge you to think of the alternatives. Sometimes you gotta take it to the dark side. Ask “What if I stay here?” – How would that make you feel? Ask “What will it cost me one year from now if I do nothing?” and “Who’s counting on me or how would doing nothing affect those I love?”

Now take it to the bright side – “What could happen if I were brave? If I didn’t underestimate myself and doubt?”, “How amazing could life possibly be if I tried?”, “What if it all works out?”, “What if I stopped settling for playing small?” Chances are your heart and mind have already given you the answers, but you have to create a compelling enough case for WHY to override that beautiful brain.

Not Easy but Worth It

This is the work. It’s not easy. Nor is it always fun. But joy and fulfillment comes from knowing you’re someone who chose growth. Someone who can overcome and someone who has the power to live a life on purpose. A life that not only serves you, but makes you better able to serve those around you.

Rooting for you my friend!