It happens to the best of us: you do something that takes you outside of your comfort zone and you start to freak out. You start to sweat and get anxious. You start to question your abilities and if you even have the “right” to do what you’re doing.

This is how it all went down: As you know by now, I’m unemployed. I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Finance and I have some experience in the Finance industry but I can’t get a job. I spend a couple of hours a day filling out applications, a couple of hours on this blog, and a couple of hours fulfilling my house husband duties since I don’t have a job (laundry, dishes, etc.)

Clearly I’m having difficulty finding a job so I’m trying to provide for my fiancee and our Pug, Sabine by trying something I have little to no experience doing: blogging and writing.

I’ve been “live” for 5 days so not a lot of people know who I am yet. They aren’t going to Google me so I have to seek them out. I have to hustle. I’m reaching out to bloggers to see if there’s any freelance work I can do for them: virtual assistant, editor, community builder, etc or if I can do a guest post for them. I even ask the ones who’s writing I like if they’ll mentor me.

That’s what the plan was.

Right before I hit the send button to reach out to the first “big name” blogger, I panicked. I was uncomfortable and overwhelmed. The little voice in my head was saying “who the hell are you to reach out to this successful person? They probably get a bunch of requests…blah blah blah.” I was waving the white flag before I even hit the send button. I didn’t even give myself a chance to succeed.

But then I remembered a quote by Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4 Hour Work Week that went like this: “A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”

And boy, was I uncomfortable. But then I realized that I’ve done this before. I was courageous enough to send emails to professional soccer teams in Germany and England when I pursued my childhood dream of playing pro soccer. Sure, I sent out over 100 emails and got 4 responses, buts its those 4 responses that mattered and not the no’s. I calmed myself down and I realized that everyone has to start somewhere. I realized that I have something valuable to say and I just have to stick with it.

Even if they all say no, I’ll know that I did what I could. I won’t be wondering “what if?” I gave myself a chance to succeed. That’s the best thing that you can do for yourself.

So what should you do when you get out of your comfort zone?

• Think of Tim Ferriss’s quote: “A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”
• Realize that if you want to be more successful and you want to be self employed, that you’ll have to open yourself up to being uncomfortable.
• Embrace your uneasiness. Realize that this means you’re getting out of your comfort zone. Realize that its a good thing because this is how you grow.

• Feel the fear and do it anyways. Just do it. Don’t stop. Give yourself a chance. You’ll be glad you did.
• People are just like you. We all have our fears and insecurities. No one is better than anyone else regardless of fame, money, or anything else like that.
• No one cares about your dream more than you do. You are solely responsible for what happens to it.

Do you have any other tips you’d like to add? I’d love to hear them!