WICT - New England

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It is hard to believe it that summer is almost over and that fall is just around the corner. I have asked my self several times--"Where did the time go?"

I have had an exceptional opportunity to serve with some fantastic people on the WICT New England Board this year. They are go-getters--individuals who are not afraid to make things happen. Even when they did not know exactly how do something, they got in there are figured it out. As a result, I have seen them grow, change and become more confident in their leadership ability. This is one of the benefits of volunteering to serve on the board.

In this month's newsletter, I wanted to talk a little about getting out of the "comfort zone" in order to sustain our growth as leaders.

Imagine the comfort zone as a circle: Inside the circle are those things that we are comfortable doing; outside is everything else.

When we try something new or different, we push against the parameters of our comfort zone. If we do a new thing often enough, we gain confidence, breakthrough, and our comfort zone expands. If we back off from trying new things we remain within the boundaries of our comfort zone and become limited by it.

Our comfort zone is dynamic and either expands or contracts. When we succeed at something our confidence and self-esteem increases and we take it with us into other endeavors. When we "give in" to our comfort zone we are bound by its limitations and end up feeling stuck or trapped.

Here is one of the great ironies of life: Those who consciously expand their comfort zone by doing new things experience no more fear than those who passively try to keep things "as comfortable as possible." Both feel the same fear. However, the person who develops the habit of moving through fear when it appears, feels it only once.

So, I encourage you to keep trying new things and expanding your comfort zone. Feel the fear and do it anyway!

Enjoy the remainder of your summer. I hope to see you at one of our up-coming programs!

Regards,

Lata Chawla
WICT NE President