Steppin' Out...of My Comfort Zone

As has been well-chronicled in this space, the past couple years have been largely about my stepping out of my comfort zone. Shaking things up. Transforming the parts of my life that weren't working for me into things that do work for me.

To that end, I'm stepping WAY, WAY out of my comfort zone this weekend. I'm traveling to my new company's annual conference. I'm rooming with my manager, who is basically a rockstar in this setting. So, in other words, I'm going alone, because let's face it - she's not going to have time to hold the hand of her shy, newish employee when a) she has like 100 direct and indirect reports going and b) again, rockstar. So, you know. I'm TERRIFIED.

I'm also really excited. EVERYONE I've spoken to who has attended this event has said it is absolutely amazing, life changing, and the like. And the thing is, the way they've described things has generally turned out to be pretty accurate. And so far, I've been really pleasantly surprised at how easy it's been to make friends in this group, so I'm kind of hoping people will be willing to chill with me.

My comfort zone would've been to say, "Oh, that event costs too much," or, "Oh, I can't leave B," or what have you, and not go. But in early May (RIGHT before the registration deadline), I decided that if I'm going to make a go of this thing, I need to be there. When I approached E about it, he agreed and encouraged me, because as you all know, he is awesome. So, I emailed my manager and found that the ONE spot left was in HER hotel room. Clearly, I was meant to go.

I remember when I went to my orientation at UMass (and I apologize if I've told part of this before...I can't remember and I can't check right now because I have about five more minutes to write before B decides it's time to put the Mac down), I sat in lunch the first day and I thought to myself, "Ok. You can be like you were in high school and be shy and not talk to anyone and be MISERABLE about it, or you can force yourself to introduce yourself and talk to people, and see if that's better." And you know what? It WAS better. By miles and miles, it was better. (I've always been a late bloomer.) So, that's my approach for this, too. I spent all those years at my old company allowing myself to feel less-than, to feel like a misfit (not that I WAS, mind you, I just FELT like one). I'm ready to find my OWN inner rockstar, dammit. I'm ready to be more, and to live up to my own professional potential. And I'm not going to let myself and my comfort zone stop me.