Creating Discomfort Archives - Page 2 of 5

How My Experience As An TV Extra Challenged My Comfort Zone

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone challenges your mind to create new neural pathways that unlock the most amazing experiences you can have.

I have countless memories of fondness that have come from being out of my comfort zone.

Is it challenging? Yes
Is it uncomfortable? Yes
Is it worth it? 100%

Challenging myself regularly to experience new experiences that face my fears has changed my life and being an extra for TV production is just that.

Since a young boy, I have had a love for film and TV and I could talk about it all day long. I have always wanted to have some part in a film or TV production but I never pursued it.

So as part of my creating discomfort journey, I signed up for extra work in the UK.

Months passed by then I got an email to be a part of big TV production for Amazon Studios. Without hesitation I accepted.

I would like to share with you why being an extra can challenge your mindset to improve as a person.

What I Learned About Being An Extra.

Making A Good First Impression Count A Lot

On my first day as an extra. My instincts of being an introvert were firing like you wouldn’t believe but I had to go against it on this occasion. Making a great first impression counts a lot. By introducing myself, formalising chit chat conversation and of course smiling and being open. Allowed me to quickly forge friendships.

I noticed others were like me introverts and chose the easier path and on the second day of shooting, I could see they were still alone. This could have been me if I listened to my fears. Luckily for them, I choose to go out of my way to build friendships with them. By the end of the week, they defiantly had a better experience.

Putting Yourself Forward Earns Respect

It could have been easy to put myself into the background and wait to be asked to do something. As this was an experience I wanted to remember I put myself forward and this allowed me to do fight scenes, be in the shots next to the actors and even get a chance to speak and ask questions to the lead actors. I was even asked to come back for further shoots because I stood out.

Now in the past, I have definitely shied away but when you face your fear of being uncomfortable amazing experiences can happen.

Being Open To Meeting All Types Of People

I think we all have friends we feel comfortable with and the chances of meeting new people can be hard. On an extra set, I interacted with all types of backgrounds and was enjoyable to learn about different cultures, peoples experiences and their personalities. It can be easy to just keep your social bubble small but opening it up to new faces can be the start of new and amazing friendships.

You Have To Practice Patience

On set, there is a lot of waiting around and learning the art of being patient is a crucial skill to learn. Refraining from moaning to stay positive throughout is a challenge. But being comfortable to be in your own head and staying positive is a skill well learned.

You Have To Be Adaptable

When you’re extra you could be doing something completely different or having to be put with people you don’t know. That’s why like in life you plan for change to happen. By being mentally prepared for change allows you to adapt quickly and lets the fear subside and not be as powerful as it could.

This is what I learned on set being an extra. I’m so glad I went out of my comfort zone by creating discomfort in my life.

I think I might just do it again or maybe next time be a production assistant or an assistant director.

Do you want to read more about my creating discomfort challenges? Click here to read more.

Thanks for reading. You can get more actionable ideas in my Mindset Monday email newsletter. Each week, I share amazing content that will develop your mindset into the best version you can be. Let’s build an amazing community Enter your email now and join us.

Take Time To Look At How Far You Have Come With A Victory List — Ticking your victories with drawn checked boxes

I have always suffered from a lack of self-belief and the worthiness of my accomplishments. It’s been with me ever since I can remember. I use many strategies to overpower these feelings. A major one is the creation of a victory list.

I first learned this from Jack Canfield and I want to share with you how I use a victory list and the benefits you can receive from it too. It’s like the list after creating a bucket list with all your accomplishments to date.

Unlike many lists you have to do, this one is exciting.

Here’s why and how you should do it…

Why You Should Have A Victory List?

I think it’s common to go through life and undervalue your accomplishments. Most people are caught up in their past mistakes or worrying about the future. I have too been that person. But when you brush away the negative fog that’s blocking your mind. You will find clear routes to take.

End of the day no one wants to be stuck in life by their thoughts. So the quickest way to move forward is to find a way to channel the mind and release the chemicals that make us feel good.

A victory list is just that. It allows you to remember all the times you have succeeded and embody that emotion. For me sometimes I forget I’m actually a good public speaker. When I revert back to my introverted state I somehow think I’m not a good communicator when in fact I have spoken to over a thousand people and was congratulated on how well I did. That’s a victory that can be put on the list.

Having a victory list allows you to increase your confidence and self-belief that you can achieve anything in your life.

How To Implement A Victory List

There’s a simple 3 step process I apply to get the most out of my victory list

Recall every accomplishment. When I’m writing down my accomplishments I wanted to incorporate everything in my life. Sometimes we can take for granted our childhood accomplishments of walking, reading and writing but these are major accomplishments. Even been here today on earth you have beaten between 40 million and 1.2 billion sperm cells in the race to be alive. So when your write down your victory list include everything from birth to the present.

Create your top 5. Once you have a list of all your accomplishments you can order them in any way you like. I personally but them into decades. This helps me to see them more clearly. Then I create my top 5. These are the accomplishments that I gather the most energy from. The top 5 should relight the fire inside you that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Keep It close to you. Keeping your victory list close to you allows you to fuel up whenever you need. Some days you might need it more than others and haveing it quick to hand is important as having fuel stops nearby when you’re driving. I have it on my phone but you can write it out and laminate it. Get creative but keep it close by.

How To Create More Victories In Life

When I looked at my victory list after its completion. I was actually proud of myself and also shocked at what I have achieved.

After all the emotions had sunk in another thought popped up. “What else can I achieve?”

This is a great question to ask because your victory list is limitless. We all have one life and getting to work on achieving all the things we want in life without fear is the way forward.

Yes Theory practice seeking discomfort. This is a powerful message. By seeking discomfort in your own life you will find achievements abound. I believe also in creating discomfort. You have the power to create your future through believing and feeling your wants into existence.

Every achievement on your victory list is there because you seeked or created discomfort in your life. Everything on your list would have been a challenge or you overcame adversity.

The victory list is the best list you have and creating the rest of your victory list will be the journey of a lifetime. Just embrace fear when you’re going after your goals.

Want to strengthen your mindset? Check out our mindset toolkit articles