Know your zones
As I navigate through this life, I discover many things. I have experienced a great deal in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Through it all, I have developed the capacity to become self-aware…well, for the most part. One of the most powerful things about becoming self-aware is discovering the power of making a choice. First of all, you must understand that there lies a thought that precedes the point where we have the opportunity to make a choice. Maybe that thought comes from a goal that you have. Perhaps that thought comes from an intention or a desire to be better. The reality is that thoughts are constant from the point we wake up to the point we go to sleep. In my last blog, I wrote about blind spots and how they affect the choices we make at the sub-conscious level. But today I want to talk about conscious choice and how a thought leads to a choice which then leads to experiencing life out of three different zones.
Overcome your comfort
We have the power to turn a thought into a choice that may allow you to experience the magic, the goodness, and all the possibilities that life has to offer. I call that place “The Adventure Zone.” This zone is where you navigate through life powerfully, with confidence, and with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. How do you get into this zone? Let’s say that your goal is to lose weight and the time of the day has come to get your workout in. You are driving home from a long day at work and you are conflicted to make one of two choices. You either choose to skip the workout, go home, get dinner, and get cozy and comfortable while splurging on neftlix. Deep inside you know what you have to choose but the choice is not an easy one. This is your opportunity! Choose to do your workout because it serves you on so many levels! Choosing to be in “The Adventure Zone” is under your control by simply choosing to go workout. The opportunity to make a choice carries with it the capacity of putting you into one of three zones and the choice is yours. Isn’t that empowering?
The choice is yours
If you choose to skip the workout, ask yourself why you chose to do that? Most likely, you skipped the workout because it was uncomfortable to go through with it. It was a comfortable choice to go home, get dinner, and watch nefflix. Unfortunately, making this choice doesn’t feel too good and we lose a sense of power and confidence. This zone is “The Comfort Zone.” It’s the zone where nothing happens. In this zone, you are comfortable and no real change takes place. But it’s not so bad because we can still choose to propel ourselves to the “Adventure Zone” but only if you are aware of where you chose to be. Self-Awareness is key because if you lack it, you may find yourself in “The Danger Zone.” Let’s say that after you chose to skip the workout, you took it further and decided to pull over to meet your co-workers for a drink. One drink turned to two, to three, and then you decided to splurge on those tempting buffalo wings and garlic fries. Well, that’s “The Danger Zone.” It’s a zone of self-sabotage. It’s a place where we dig ourselves a deeper hole to climb out of. Ask yourself, why? But this zone is not a place of doom, although it can feel like that and in some cases it is.
Make the distinction
Let’s take it a bit deeper. It’s entirely possible that you chose to have those drinks and food because you didn’t feel good about yourself for skipping the workout. You want to avoid experiencing life in “The Danger Zone” as it never leads to anywhere good. Although it may feel temporarily good, it’s not real. And don’t confuse “The Danger Zone” with a good time because it’s not. It’s completely healthy and necessary to have a good time. You just have to make the distinction of when it’s a good time and when it’s “The Danger Zone.” You can still meet your co-workers for happy hour and buffalo wings without it being “The Danger Zone.”
Awareness is key
Deepening your self-awareness is the key to understanding your choices and creating a deeper relationship with yourself to help you navigate through your life. I encourage you to have a goal, an intention, and a vision of what you would like to accomplish and understanding the thoughts that will come. Understanding the choice you will have to make moment to moment. And ultimately, understanding the zone you are experiencing and why. Understand this, “The Danger Zone” is an act of self-sabotage. “The Comfort Zone” is a place where no change occurs. And “The Adventure Zone” is the place of positive results. You choose.