One of my friends called in an expert trainer for one of their dogs last weekend. He told me there’s nothing particularly wrong with the dog, he’s just got a few things he’s scared of and ends up over-reacting. He was telling me what the trainer did with the dog. He was fascinated by how the trainer used the whole de-sensitisation and positive association process to “fix” the dog.
Regular, mild exposure to the things that are scary, along with regular positive reinforcement solved the issues! I thought this was really interesting, that’s why I’m sharing it with you.
What can we learn from this?
Well it’s the same process WE go through when we HAVE to overcome a fear(or when we are scared or intimidated by something. Like having to lose weight or like a new exercise regime. Now I’m not saying any of you are dogs. But the psychology is the same.
Regular, mild exposure to the scary stuff. Coupled with some support and positive reinforcement is the KEY to your success. You need to understand if you are scared – that is NORMAL.
It’s OK to be scared. It’s OK to be out of shape. It’s OK to not know what to eat.
Taking some action and exposing yourself to whatever your afraid of or have been avoiding will give you a REWARD. Yes you will feel some of those bad emotions I mentioned like fear but you will also feel better and have more energy and maybe even be proud of yourself.
Over time the bad feelings will disappear and will be replaced by more of the positive ones. I can’t tell you it’s easy, because I would be lying. But I can tell you it will be WORTH IT. Be brave and face up to what ever it is you have been putting off. Accept the FACT when you are out of your comfort zone. By definition you will feel uncomfortable, afraid or whatever.
Cope with that feeling and you will do well in whatever goal you decide to take on. Its kinda twisted… Living IN your comfort zone all the time eventually will make you feel uncomfortable. And living OUTSIDE of your comfort zone will eventually make you feel comfortable.
In a nutshell… Most people I know want to be successful. Successfully at work, with their relationships, their health etc. And that’s today’s lesson – success lies outside your comfort zone.
