Don't let your comfort zone's walls block success

As an auto shop business coach, I realized some of my members have a tough time changing old habits. If this rings true for you, then please read on. I call my members every week to discuss whatever challenges they have and then give them strategies and methods to solve them. The next week I'll call to follow up on their progress, and that's when the excuses start. "I didn't have the time;" "a bunch of stuff happened, and I couldn't get to it;" "one of my techs called out, and I had to be a mechanic all week;" "someone in my family had something happen to them;" or the classic "the dog ate my homework." 

Once or twice I can buy into it, but I am not buying it anymore after repeated excuses. There is a boatload of excuses, and I must combat all of them. Take lack of time, for instance. I pull out a time management spreadsheet and ask the member to document at the top of every hour what they are doing. That way, it is fresh on their mind versus waiting till the end of the day when it's hard to remember things correctly. If the member goes through the exercise, then we stand a chance they might do something about the time issue. If they document truthfully, then we can point out all the wasted time as we walk through it with them. 

Time is just one of many common examples that members talk about. When they don't manage it, they don't have enough time to run the business properly and profitably. The reality is that most people need to be in pain to change. It is only when they genuinely get tired of something (such as not having enough time) that the pain is high enough to finally do something about it. 

Their excuses for not addressing challenges such as these are rarely acceptable. Maybe initially, but not repeatedly. After a while, you know that it's their comfort zone calling, and they go running back to it. To avoid this behavior and break down the walls of your comfort zone, get ATI's Comfort Zone Self-Assessment Form at www.ationlinetraining.com/2021-03.

I see many members I work with come out of the gate hard and fast, make significant strides and quickly make positive changes. Then they get comfortable and complacent and stop moving forward. It is only through pain that they remember change is necessary. I get tired of this concept. 

If you ever watched the movie A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, you should remember the courtroom scene. Tom Cruise has Jack Nicholson on the stand, and he is trying to get Jack to admit to breaking the law. "You can't handle the truth. You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall, and instead of questioning what I do on the wall, I would rather you say thank you and be on your way," said Jack Nicholson's character.  

So I ask you: are you like Jack Nicholson's character who defended the wrong wall, or do you want to change? Do you want to grow, learn and become a better leader? Do you want to work on your shop versus in it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, why are you so vehemently defending the walls you have surrounded yourself with? These walls are our limiting factors; what got us here is not going to get us where we are going. If we want to grow, then quit defending the wrong walls. 

I would even go so far as to ask you when was the last time you stopped and reevaluated your dreams? If it was more than a year ago, you're not alone. Most of us get out of bed and do the same thing on the same schedule and are on the same merry-go-round that we've been on for years. Somehow, we feel we haven't paid our dues. We are still that same little kid climbing the stairs of success, not knowing how to get to the top. We look at other people's success and wonder, "Why not me?" First, quit worrying about other people and focus on yourself.   

Ask yourself: who do you want to be when you grow up? If you have not answered that question lately, it is time to do a little soul searching. When I ask if you have paid your dues toward success, most people say yes. Then I ask again, and they admit that they have not. The funny thing is, only you can tell if you have paid your dues. You set your limitations. When you look in the mirror, you must be comfortable looking yourself in the eye. You cannot lie to yourself; you can try, but you know. 

As we go through life, we cannot help but build walls. They protect us; they give us comfort when stuff happens. We can hide behind them and feel secure. This feeling of security is the comfort zone, and we must break free. So how do we do it? By first recognizing that they exist and realizing that we have outgrown them. Then by trusting in ourselves, our team, our processes and knowing that everything will be okay. Staying in your comfort zone, hiding behind your walls and watching the world go by is not a good way to live or do business. Even though it's uncomfortable, putting yourself out there is the only way to begin to change.  

We must also rid ourselves of misguided beliefs. As children, we were told that we could have whatever we want and be whoever we want to be if we worked enough and saved for it. The longer and harder we worked, the greater the reward, and the more we'd appreciate it. This is one of the biggest walls that we continue to maintain. It makes us think that we must go through hell for good things to happen and focus on working harder instead of smarter. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we know what we want to achieve and how to get there, it's easier to make it happen. We must also surround ourselves with the right people and the right processes.  

Next time someone asks you to change or points out a better way, are you going to defend your old walls, or are you going to step out on faith to see if the water is fine? 

I will leave you with this: if you choose to stay and defend a wall, please make sure it is worth protecting and it's not just your comfort zone holding you back. To find, identify and break down your walls, get ATI's Comfort Zone Self-Assessment Form at www.ationlinetraining.com/2021-03