Are You In The Entrepreneurial Danger Zone?

Are You In The Entrepreneurial Danger Zone?   Are you in the danger zone right now in your business or personal life?   If I were to ask you, out of ten, how you would currently rate your life what score would you give yourself?   This may sound counter intuitive but if you’re a six and below then that’s a REALLY good thing!!   I know, I hear you…what the eff?!?!  

Stick with me here.

  If you’re only at a six or below then you have all the motivation you need to change things, you may just need to know or understand a little more of the ‘how’ to do it.    You see, change is HARD! So you have to be MOTIVATED to do it…and overcome some unconscious programming which doesn’t happen overnight!   So six and below gives you plenty of motivation.     It’s almost a case of the lower the better…when everything changed for me I was probably at a one out of ten!  

How bad is the pain?

  If you’ve been listening to me for a while then you’ll know one of my favourite quotes is ‘Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.’ From Tony Robbins.   It’s so true.  That’s why so many breakthroughs happen at rock bottom and why so many successful people have one of those rock bottom stories.  It’s a serious motivation to get out of it.  

So where is the danger zone?

  When you’re in the danger zone you’re at about a seven out of ten.   The reason it’s the danger zone?   You’re comfortable.   You’d LOVE for things to change and you know you’d be happier and more fulfilled.  Or healthier, or making more money…whatever it is for you.   BUT you’re pretty comfortable if you’re honest with yourself.     Even if it’s comfort in mediocrity.  

What comes from comfort?

  Then comes the procrastination, the self sabotage, the intentional overwhelm so you end up doing nothing.   All the lovely ways we get in our own way are flaring up meaning you stay exactly where you are…BUT you have the added gloriousness of frustration, beating yourself up, blaming yourself, and any other ways you can generally be down on yourself for not doing the things you know will move you forwards.     Self compassion is just out the window!   The excuses are running your life and keeping you right where you SAY you don’t want to be anymore.  

What it takes to make a change

  The thing is, to make a change you need patience, resilience, some serious discipline and determination in droves…therefore you need some serious motivation to get out of that seven out of ten comfort zone you’re in.   Your brain is going to be working against you every step of the way until you TRAIN it into working FOR you.   It’s primary job is to keep you safe…ergo…INSIDE your comfort zone.     This is why the danger zone is so dangerous.     Everything is going to be magnified in order to keep you where you are.   

Why nothing changes…

  Nothing changes until something MOVES.     If you don’t move nothing will change…and yet we expect it to from just sitting on the sofa trying to think it into existence…go figure!  

Knowing is very different to doing

  Just because you KNOW it, doesn’t mean you’ll DO it!     You really are your own greatest asset and your own greatest liability in your life and in your business.    If you’re in the danger zone it explains why you’re not doing the things you KNOW make you feel good or push you closer to putting the effort in to break old or form new habits.   It’s why you aren’t in the gym, meditating, journaling, spending time outside, selling, eating good food, drinking lots of water, making sure you’re getting your vitamins, reading, completing the course you invested in…any of the things that genuinely get you what you want!   You’re actually not motivated enough to put in the effort!  

So how do you get motivated when you’re in the danger zone?

  Connect to what a ten out of ten would be like.     What would it look like, feel like?    To create ‘certainty’ around it visualise yourself once you’ve achieved it so your brain accepts it as truth, leave no room for doubt.     What would you be doing, wearing?     Try to add as much detail and colour to the vision as you can.   Really feel the emotions associated with that being your reality.  

Connect to that big reason why you want it

  Connect to that big reason that you want to get out of the danger zone.     Is it towards something or away from something?   It’s always far more motivating to move away from pain than towards pleasure.     Both sides of the coin are even better but if you can connect to where you’ll be and what will happen in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or even a decade into the future if you DON’T take action.   What will it cost you in money, health, relationships if you DON’T take action?     You can see why I get so frustrated with what I call ‘fluffy whys’.     You are not going to get anywhere without being SUPER honest about your reasons for wanting to change something.     I’ll give you a hint…the REAL reason is usually something inherently selfish…that’s totally NORMAL and HONEST!    You are not a bad person for wanting something for yourself, so let go of all the childhood programming that tells you that it is.     It doesn’t make YOU selfish!   Fundamentally if YOU’RE able to show up as the best possible version of you then the ripple effect of that is profound on everyone else around you…so is it really selfish in the first place?!   Find your ‘why’ and then keep asking ‘and what does that get me?’ until you hit the real nail on the head.  

What’s the positive payback?

  Work out if there are any secondary gains to you staying where you are.   Secondary gains are those hidden positive gains of being in a negative situation.     For example, certain excuses we get to keep making which mean we don’t have to take action, or certain behaviours we get to keep doing…like eating the donut or not going live.  Or being able to moan about our situation and play the victim just a little bit for some validation.   Work out what the unconscious programs are that are stopping you.     If you get more visible you’re actually going to have to carry on putting yourself out there, you’ll have to sell, you’ll have to actually DO this thing and put yourself out there for potential rejection…whereas if you don’t go all in then you get to ‘pretend’ you’re doing the thing.    Whatever it is you’ve got to drop it.    You’ve got a decision to make as to which scenario you want more.   You need to get out of your ego mind and into one of awareness so you can get that choice back.     Get that power back.   

What’s in your noggin?

  You need awareness of what it is you’re thinking and therefore DOING, be able to observe it and observe yourself with curiosity, constantly asking yourself where thoughts, beliefs, stories and behaviour comes from.     Not from a place of blame or frustration but from a genuine place of curiosity.   These are simply things you’ve learned along the way.  They aren’t real. They’re assumptions that you’ve made.     When you can strip away the MEANING you’ve given something to the actual act then your whole perspective on it changes.  

It’s not good or bad until you make it so

  In reality life is full of completely neutral events.  It’s simply your interpretation of those events that makes them good or bad…and your interpretations vs someone else’s are often completely different…so what does that tell you!   Change is tough.     ESPECIALLY if you’re in the danger zone!     So you either have to ramp up the pain or make sure you’ve got some accountability so you don’t allow yourself to get in your way.   If you don’t have accountability to keep you going you’re relying on self motivation that is not likely to be strong enough.    So whatever you need to do to get REAL accountability, DO it!    Whether that’s starting your own mastermind or finding an accountability buddy (although when it’s free be aware that it’s harder when it’s free because you don’t have any ‘skin in the game’ so make sure you get a REALLY motivated buddy if you go down this route! It’s absolutely possible but you certainly can’t both be in the danger zone because the procrastination and excuses will come full force from both sides)   Or joining something like the Proactive Pants Mastermind where I kick your butt on a weekly basis personally…or any other sort of mastermind where you have deadlines and mandatory tasks over a prolonged period to make sure you take action.    Or work with someone one on one so you’re wholeheartedly invested in making it happen.   Think about it…most people get personal trainers or book a class to keep them accountable, they know they are unlikely to do it on their own when it’s so easy to sit on the sofa instead!  

Have a ponder on these

  What part of your identity do you need to let go of to make the change?   What stories do you need to change?   Do you feel worthy of what’s on the other side of the change? Do you actually feel it’s possible?    Are you in the danger zone and how committed are you to getting out of it?    You are worthy…and it is possible, all you’ve got to do is take the action!   The only difference between you and the people you admire is taking action.    They’re just as insecure as you…they just don’t let it hold them back!   If you got value from this and you know in your gut that now is the time to step up and start rewiring your thinking and changing things for yourself then book in a free discovery call so we can work out what needs to happen to get you from where you’re at right now, to the action taking success you know you can be!! If you want my eyes and ears on YOUR problems I work with people 1:1, through the Proactive Pants Programme and 1:1 full day intensives, stop waiting for if and when and decide to change things now! Fx Fran Excell, Subconscious Success Mentor & Host Of The Positive Pants Podcast – Helping Business Owners Overcome Self Sabotage & Get More Done In Less Time at www.franexcell.com RESOURCES: Check out The Positive Pants Podcast here Download your FREE Stressed To Success Meditation here Shop Printables & Meditations here Grab your 365 day ‘Attitude Of Gratitude’ Journal here Grab Your ‘Positive Pants Firmly On’ Notebook here Book In a Free 20 Minute Discovery Call here