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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.

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I was first inspired to write this post from a video online. Lorenzo was a young boy who was shot by a stray bullet that left him in serious condition struggling with body motor function as a result. He could have easily have felt sorry for himself and give up on life. But instead, choose to persevere.

With the injury, he had to use a walker to get around and he didn’t want this for the rest of his life. So for the first time, he took up boxing. Many around him thought it was a crazy idea but he persevered with the idea nonetheless. After 6 months of pure determination and effort, he finally could stand on his own two feet without the assistance of a walker. The progress was extraordinary.

The power of the human spirit when focussed can achieve possibilities others cannot conceive. His doctor didn’t prescribe this treatment, he had to prescribe this for himself. It just goes to show when humans apply perseverance in their life anything that seemed impossible becomes possible.

Learning To Persevere

This is, without doubt, a crucial part of anyone’s mental strength toolkit. Perseverance is a skill that allows you to overcome your own minds doubt, failures and shortcomings. When we don’t persevere it just opens the door to regret. The regret of not trying harder, giving up to early or just taking the easy path.

When you make a decision that you will persevere at everything that matters in your life. That is the flip of the switch in your mind that changes everything.

When I finished university my first job was in sales and I could see perseverance in action every day. There were always people who won every day and achieved their sales targets and others who did on some days.

Two people really stood out to me. Both super skilled at communication but the main difference was that on the hard days when sales were harder to come by, one persevered to come through and the other just gave up the day. This taught me the power of perseverance and allowed me at the time on my bad days to persevere to hit my sales targets.

When you apply this to everything in your life. Well, that’s just a game-changer that keeps giving back.

How To Make It A Habit

Hoping that your mind will always make the right decision to persevere can sometimes be tricky. To make perseverance a habit. You have to make it instinctive. But first, you have to plan to use it every day.

When planning my day I will add in two times I need to persevere.

This can be anything but I choose that when I’m exercising and I have a feeling that I want to give up I will persevere for an extra 5 minutes. My second choice was when I’m struggling to calm my mind I will meditate for an extra 10 minutes.

Both these challenges I set for myself allowed me to not only have a chance to practice perseverance but also teach my mind that it works in my best interest to persevere.

After months of practising when I reflect on my day, I can see that I have achieved perseverance all the time. From when I’m playing sports or just communicating my point of view.

Creating this habit is a must for anyone and quite easy to achieve each day.

The Benefits Of Learning To Persevere

Overcoming Challenges Makes You More Confident

When you have to persevere it’s always in the hard zone.

In the hard zone, it’s uncomfortable and shows to yourself that you can achieve more than you realise.

Just before you have a chance to act to persevere there is a choice to be made to give up or carry on through the pain. When we make the decision to carry on we are boosting our confidence to reach new limits.

Perseverance Will Boost Your Productivity

Without a doubt, when you choose to persevere you will boost your productivity levels. It’s that final 10% where the most gains come from you will see when you persevere.

Whist doing exercise, where the lactic acid build-up is firing, is the time to make the most gains. Perseverance finds all the gold and rewards you are looking for boosting your productivity in the process. When others are giving up you are putting in the extra work to get the job done.

You Will Develop Your Focus

When you make a decision to persevere. Alongside it, you are developing your focus. The mind is not in relax mode at this point. It’s in fight mode. Fighting for the win, fighting to prove something to yourself and fighting to show it can be done. This requires focus.

Over time your focus will develop into a key weapon to stay the course. The focus will help keep away all the negative thoughts of wanting to scream stop but it will allow you to enter a stage or zone which will put you in-game mode where you can push your mind and body to new limits.

Resilianace Will Be Built

When you are persevering it’s like going through a brick wall or you have weight behind you trying to drag you down. It’s painful but it’s making you stronger mentally. The mindset you are creating is resilience and the resistance to pain will be increased. This is a great character trait and will help you on the journey to be your best self. No path is plain sailing it’s filled with pitfalls and obstacles. having the resilience to persevere will help you become the person you want to be.

Have The Mindset Of A Winner

No matter what field of expertise you look at from sport to business. Anyone who is successful has had to persevere to get to the top. Life whether you like it or not is about competition either with yourself or with others.

To be the best footballer competing against all other technically gifted players what are you doing that sets you apart. When your doing a degree and want to be the person who gets the highest grade alongside all other capable people. It all comes down to perseverance.

This is the skill that can set you apart from everyone else and show you that you are capable of so much more than you know.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR STORIES

Has this helped you today? How are you practising perseverance? I would love to hear your thoughts and your experiences. Always remember you are not alone and everything can change.

A Final Word From The Future Mindset

I hope you enjoyed today’s article How Learning To Persevere Can Unlock Your Best Self. I hope the article has helped in some way. If you need extra help or any questions answered. Don’t hesitate to contact me at adam@thefuturemindset.com

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