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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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round mirror — Photo by Ethan Sees on Pexels.com

Every day we make thousands of choices. Some are conscious desions but most are subconscious habits we have formed over the years that are either helping us move forward or holding us back. The hidden cost is real. You just have to look closer.

I have investigated my own hidden costs and came to realise there are some eye-opening hidden costs that I make each day without relising. It comes from many different areas of your life. It can be eating that sugary sweet pudding or watching that extra episode of your favourite show. The hidden cost is there from health to time focussing more meaningful projects.

Now eating a chocolate bar or watching Netflix now and then isn’t going to cost you much. But you overeat and or binge-watch on a daily basis then you are going to see hidden costs of this action start to affect your health and growth.

How you can find yourself in this position for example overeating is because at the moment you are not seeing the consequences of your actions just the feeling you getting in that moment. As the weight piles on it can take an outside voice to notice how much you have changed for you to realise the cost of you eating unhealthy for so long.

That’s why it’s important to be conscious and self -aware of your desions your making each day and what hidden cost your happy to accept and which ones you have to avoid at all cost.

The Iceberg Factor

You are probably very familiar with the iceberg picture where underneath you see all the choices someone has to make to reach the top that no one sees. Then at the top is all the success that everyone sees. This applies to your life. underneath the iceberg is all the decisions you have ever made and at the top is what everyone sees.

Your life is either in a place you want and is happy or you are in a place you don’t want to be and are unhappy. The reality is this is based on the choices you make each day and every choice you make will have a cost.

I too have looked at my life and on reflection have not been happy with the outcome. This has come down to two things, comfort and fear.

Making Decisions From A Place Of Comfort And Fear

When we make decisions from a place of comfort and fear we are more likely to get outcomes we won’t like.

If we always choose the easy road out of comfort we will always receive nothing of value back. The hidden cost will be regret of time wasted, financial scarcity and unhappiness in the long term by the short term decisions at the moment that are made.

The seconds desions making tool people will find a huge hidden cost is making choices out of fear. A fear that I need to take this job or I won’t get another chance, a fear I have to make this investment or I will miss out. Too many people think that there is not enough to go around. This mentality got its claws into me and it’s actually not true. You will go on Instagram, want a job at Google or join a competitive market and think there is no space for me to join. Where in fact there is always room. There are many examples of this is just take hard work and better choices to unlock the hidden costs of more improved actions to attain the goal.

That’s why when analysing your own hidden costs. Eliminating comfort and fear-based habits and choices from your life will clear the way for the life you want.

Be Clear On What You Want

Before you find out what hidden costs in your own life is holding you back. First, you have to create a clear picture of the future you want to have. If it’s open up a bar on a beachfront compared to creating the next Tesla or Amazon it’s going to take completely different strategies and more rigorous discipline for the latter.

So spend time creating your vision. Then you can get to work on what you need to do. In order to reap the benefits from choices, you will have to make.

Steps To Analysing Your Own Hidden Costs

Step 1 – Review your Hidden Cost

Alongside your vision and goals, you have set yourself. Start to analyse all the choices you make in your life that would stop you from achieving your goals.

For example, if you want a six-pack body, eliminating excess sugar from your diet is a hidden cost you will have to eliminate.

I would go for the big ones first when looking at your hidden costs. The habits in your life that would make a huge difference in your life if you eliminate them.

Step 2 – Keep And Create Winning Habits

After finding all the hidden costs that will affect the attainment of your goals. Now it’s time for the exciting part of looking and creating new habits that will help you achieve your goals.

So first analyse the habits you have. If the goal is to become a millionaire by 40. You can see already you have a good habit of investing in an index fund. The drawback is this will make you a millionaire by 60. Creating a new habit of investing more each month will help you to retire at 40.

Finding already good habits and creating new ones is the dream ticket to attain the goals you have set for yourself.

To Conclude

Every choice you make will have a hidden cost. The trick is finding the cost that helps you reach your goals. Too many people go through life making bad decisions and wonder why there are not achieving their goals. Don’t be like them. Make the changes needed by getting rid of habits that hold you back. Then create new ones that will help you succeed.

Please don’t forget to like, share and comment It means a lot to know if this has resonated with you.

A Final Word From The Future Mindset

I hope you enjoyed today’s article The Hidden Cost From The Choices We Make Each Day. I hope the article has helped in some way.

If you want to take your mindset to the next level. How about scheduling a 30-min discovery session to chat about your current status, results you want, and next steps. Don’t hesitate to contact me at adam@thefuturemindset.com

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