The Comfort Zone and The Danger Zone: Two Sides Of The Entrepreneurship Coin
KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE
Just like any other aspect of life, it is natural to seek the comfort of predictability and minimal change. The problem with this is that the only constant in business (and life) is change. So, unfortunately it cannot be avoided no matter how hard we may try. Especially not now in a time where headlines, technology and cultural nuance change on practically a daily basis. The best tool you can utilize as an entrepreneur is to know the landmarks that are showing you where you are and take action when it's time to move forward. These landmarks are:
The Comfort Zone
The Danger Zone
New Territory
The Comfort Zone: Where Dreams Go To Hibernate
Welcome to the Comfort Zone! You've been traveling for what seems like ages through uncharted waters that you thought you may not survive. So, first of all, congratulations. Now you can take a bit of a break and enjoy some of the fruits of your labor. Sales are steadier, your systems are running smoother and customers seem satisfied. Life is good and you are prepared to ride this wave for as long as you can. There's a problem, however. You have stopped being innovative. For one, because you don't feel that you have to be. Everything is finally working! You're probably thinking why on earth would I change anything right now? And I don't blame you. You have the freedom to stay here for a while but if you don't get motivated to push yourself further, some other force will find a reason to push you instead. The Comfort Zone is a great space to relax enough to allow your creativity to activate in a way it simply cannot when the pressure is on. That's how you got here. But you cannot stay here.
The Danger Zone: Where Mediocrity Thrives
Surprise! Though you have not made any moves, the Comfort Zone has. It has now become the Danger Zone. Why? Well, despite the novelty that you employed to get here, you have become complacent. You continue to mine the same resources because they have worked for a while but now they have dried up. Your business is no longer the new and interesting thing in that space and the market is getting restless. Besides, there are at least three other companies launching in your space because they have noticed your success and the others that you compete with. All they have to do is imitate what you have already done with a little flair to stand out. Not to mention, they have found a chink in your armor that they have approached in a more innovative way than you since you landed here. Also, the economy is not quite where it was when you got to the Comfort Zone and that has had an impact on your bottom line with more to come as the overall market shrinks. And though you can't see it yet, there are about to be some major shakeups in your team. But all is not lost. If you are able to pivot and right the ship, you can survive the Danger Zone. It's time to find the spark of creativity that initially motivated you and dig deep!
New Territory: A Risk Worth Taking
It's not unusual to have doubts when finding your way out of the Danger Zone. You're not the first entrepreneur to be tricked into the idea that business gets easier. The reality is that the longer you stay in business, the better you get at solving problems. Though you have quite a few to tackle at the moment, the good news is that you have what it takes to solve them. As you brainstorm for solutions, you reach out to your team, colleagues and other creative people you know that are not in your industry. In this spirit of collaboration, you find a like mind or two that will make excellent additions to your team just in time for those major shakeups that came your way recently. During this epic brainstorming you are reminded of a product that you contemplated years ago that was not practical at the time due to expensive technology that was necessary. Well, after some research it was brought to your attention that recent improvements in that technology have now made that product more feasible. Your company has also taken notes from the newest competitors and their innovation on your weaknesses. Some changes were made but because your team delivers much better service, customers that left are coming back happier. The adjustments paid off!
Admittedly, this process is not always so smooth and seamless. There can be great casualties along they way, for sure. But let's keep the main thing, the main thing: neither the Comfort Zone nor the Danger Zone can be completely avoided. You cannot have one without the other and landing in one is guaranteed to lead to ending up on the opposite end of the spectrum. The key is to know when and where you've arrived so that you are aware of what you will have to do to get to the other side. Also, do not take either for granted because they both teach very important lessons for your growth.
If you're in the midst of figuring our how to navigate the Danger Zone or the Comfort Zone and need some guidance, feel free to schedule a Strategic Consultation with Intentional Professionals today.
Sincerely,
-M