Fourteen years ago, I left my corporate job and moved from Minneapolis to Massachusetts to create Uncommon Clarity®. As a newly minted entrepreneur, I began publishing and speaking immediately, the latter after a stint in Toastmasters to overcome no minor case of fear. From there, it was on to my first radio and TV interviews. Since then, I’ve published three booklets and, just this month, The Clarity Papers, my first full-length book. I’ve worked with clients representing over 40 industries, non-profits and for-profits. The focus of my practice has shifted from operational excellence to include strategic planning and then executive coaching and advisory services.

That first year, I was out of my comfort zone 99% of the time. Maybe more!

The second year it was maybe only 75%.

By the third year, that number had dropped even further. And so had my income! That lesson was pretty obvious. Less obvious, and maybe only to my husband, was how much I had grown and changed.

I love to travel, especially to places I’ve never been. Last year, my husband and I spent three weeks driving through Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia Herzegovina. It was a fabulous trip filled with new experiences and insights.

I’m about to move for the third time in three years. Having had parents who died in the same house where I was born, you’d think I would think of a home as permanence. Not me. Billy Joel’s lyrics, “Whenever we’re together, that’s my home,” captures my attitude perfectly. There are so many places I’ve never lived! Why stay put?

I could tell you about all the things I’ve learned and the ways I’ve changed since I founded Uncommon Clarity®. Actually, I don’t think I could possibly explain all of that! But here is one thing I can explain.

The more new things I try, the more places I go, and the more prudent risks I take all add up to there being more things that I know I can do, more places I know I can go, more risks I am comfortable taking, and more success by every relevant metric. My world gets bigger with each new venture. My options increase. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” is absolutely true. Change is good. Nothing can make you feel stronger, more confident, and more resilient than lots of different, new, and challenging experiences.

I encounter clients and friends daily who are quite fearful. It’s not necessarily obvious. It isn’t written on their faces. But listen carefully and you’ll discover that they don’t feel they have options. They aren’t confident in their ability to venture out into any kind of unknown. They would never move. The thought of changing jobs is horrifying. They would never go to a place like Bosnia Herzegovina. They are at risk of becoming the old timer who is afraid to drive beyond the familiarity of the post office.

And each year that their world remains so constant, their fear grows and their resilience decreases.

I’m sure you’ve heard that being too clean is bad for your immune system. That you should abandon the hand sanitizers, play in the garden, and get a little dirt under your fingernails. Well, a protected, static life is bad for your resilience system! Get out of your comfort zone! Go someplace you’ve never been. Try something you’ve never dared try. As you venture outwards, you will find your confidence, determination, and resilience grow significantly.

Want some ideas? Get in touch: info@uncommonclarity.com.