Creating Capacity Requires Courage

Nicole Rhone on three ways to create capacity, sustainable success and get out of your comfort zone.

Since this issue is all about getting out of our comfort zones, I thought, what a great opportunity to talk about increasing our capacity for sustainable success. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a ‘one-hit wonder’ when it comes to being and feeling successful in my personal and professional life… I want to be able to rinse and repeat that success, and to do it in a way that doesn’t leave me overwhelmed or exhausted day in and day out. That doesn’t happen by accident though, it has to be done intentionally.

Now if you’re wondering what I mean when I say capacity, I’m talking about your time, energy, and resources. You know, all the things it takes for you to show up in every single area of your life. What I’ve learned over the years is that most of you think you have a time management issue, when the truth is, you have a capacity problem. You have too many things on your plate that you’re juggling, trying to be the best mom, business owner, employee, wife… the list goes on. But until you realize that you have to create the capacity to show up in these areas and manage it accordingly, you’ll stay going in circles with never-ending to-do lists and writing those same goals, quarter after quarter. So let me help you get out of your comfort zone and tell you how to do that.

Before I go into the details, let’s get on the same page and agree that any change you make in your life, especially those around creating capacity, requires courage. The courage to know what you will and won’t give your time to, the courage to release people and situations that no longer serve you, and the courage to probably do some things you’ve never done before. If you’re ready to create sustainable success from the inside out, keep reading.

Honesty is the Best Policy

First things first, creating capacity and getting out of your comfort zone requires honesty. I’m talking about the kinda honesty you wanna give to a friend who knows good and well that dude she’s dealing with is no good, and then comes to you for your honest feedback (insert rolling eyes emoji). Yeah, that’s kinda honest! It’s the kind of conversation you have with yourself where you know it’s gonna sting, but it’s necessary. You’ve been avoiding and ignoring the elephant in the room, but keeping that same energy will leave you stuck and overwhelmed. To become whom you’re becoming, this is the level of honesty required to make room for what’s essential to your growth, goals, and well-being.

Specifically, it’s being honest about what’s working and what’s not working in your life, and it takes courage to address that. Often times this process makes you get out of autopilot and really take a look at close relationships, your current work or business situation, and what you’ve been allowing to take up your capacity. Let’s be clear, most of us stay on autopilot because it’s easier. But is it though? As you read through the rest of this article, I want you to ask yourself, what is being on autopilot, and staying in your comfort zone costing you?

Check Your Boundaries

Next on the list is boundaries. Listen, if setting boundaries doesn’t get you out of your comfort zone, you might not be setting them right… I said what I said. If boundary setting was easy or made us feel warm and fuzzy, everybody would do it with no problem!

The reality is, we don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings, we don’t want to let other people down, and we want to be there for our friends and families. I’ll ask again, but at what cost though? Is it uncomfortable to tell people that you’ve been allowing to occupy your time and energy that they no longer have the same access to you because you realize the relationship is toxic or not reciprocal? Yes! Is it tough to tell mama ‘nem they can’t call you all day and stop over unannounced just because they know you’re working from home? Yes! As a recovering people-pleaser, I know it is. But you have to remember that you have a duty and an obligation to protect your time and energy so that you can show up as the best version of yourself in whatever room you walk into. Setting boundaries, both personally and professionally, help you to do that.

Find Your People

Have you ever heard the saying “you are the company you keep”? Of course, you have! And if you take nothing else from this article, I need you to know this: who you spend time with influences your success and the person you become. The people you spend the most time with impact how you think, feel, and behave. How does this relate to your comfort zone you ask? If you’re anything like me, I used to take the “no new friends” approach like Drake. That’s until I realized after having kids, getting married, and starting my business that my friendships had changed.

Over the years of my ‘glow-up’, I unintentionally seemed to separate myself from friends and family who were not on the same path as me. I looked up one day and literally found myself bouncing ideas off the wall, rather than the people around me. If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, it’s time to muster up the courage and make some new friends who are aligned with who you are now and who you’re becoming. It takes courage to admit that, and even more to seek new friendships… putting you outside of your comfort zone. For me, this looked like joining Facebook Groups and coaching programs that put me right in the mix of like-hearted and like-minded people who were business owners, moms, podcasters, and full-time entrepreneurs. That’s not to say that I don’t still have friends from the old version of me, it just means I also have new ones that understand and are growing with the elevated version of me. I want that for you too.

If you’re in a heart and headspace where you know it’s time to create capacity, achieve sustainable success, and get out of your comfort zone, and you would like more tips and resources on how to go about it, be sure to check out my podcast Flow and Flourish on Apple Podcasts or follow me on social media @nicole_rhone.