This past fortnight has been jam-packed with getting "the book" ready to go to the publishers, and we've made the most of the weekends by getting out and about - catching up on some outdoors time!
The nearby Mudgee field day was a fabulous day out, which you'll see a snippet of in the video below, where you may even have a chuckle at Kerrie's expense. (Fortunately she's learned to laugh at herself and allowed me to post the video.) As you may have discovered, when Kerrie's a fan - of a person, buiness, or customer service experience she loves to share her excitement...
Pictured above with Kerrie, are Belinda and Helen from Country Energy, who's expo was brilliant, informative and yummy (cooking classes) and Jen Geddes with her brand new business What2Ware. Jen saw a gap in the market for colourful, styish shirts (as worn by both of us) got her "ducks in a row" and went for it. Go Jen!
A couple of days ago Kerrie went to the Nyngan Ag Expo with Maree Carter where the sun shone and more inspiring conversations took place. 
Here's Kerrie with the 2008 NSW Farmer of the Year, Nigel Kerin, who shared some valuable thoughts on success stories in regional Australia, mentioning several farmers who are defying the odds and even in the middle of drought, moving ahead in their businesses.
With every conversation with regional entrepreneurs from across Australia, our respect for them grows and we learn something new everyday (at least). It inspired me (Lyndon) to blog every day for One Hundred Days on what I discovered that day. So check out my Discovery Blog, and enjoy.
Here is the video we did at Mudgee Field Days. Enjoy
If no video appears please click here to view it.
We hope you enjoy the success tip below! It's quite humorous and thoughtprovoking - and don't miss the members highlights and congratulations too!
Have an awesome week!
Cheering you on,
Lyndon and Kerrie
PS.
We've also started a group on Facebook called Entrepreneurs in Regional and Isolated Areas, so if you're on Facebook please find us there, share your opinion and connect with others!
Todays Success Tip is from
How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
There's no room for adventure and excitement in your comfort zone; in fact, over time you might feel crowded out by boredom and fear. Perhaps it's time to stretch those limits a little, eh?
Steps
- Make a fool of yourself. One of the biggest things that holds many of us back is our fear of what people think. After all, you don't want people to think you're weird or rude or creepy or obnoxious or annoying, do you? But wait -- think about the most lovable, magnetic people you've come across in your life. Odds are, they weren't the meek, agreeable people who are reliably pleasant to be around. They were the people who were crazy and charming. People who blurted out silly, maybe inappropriate things, or who made huge, slap-your-forehead mistakes, or who were over the top most of the time, but others forgave them for being less than perfect and in fact, liked them for it. So shatter your concern for what people think of you. You're allowed to be less than perfect, and you may find that people like you more for it, because it makes you a more exciting person to be around. Get laughed at, laugh with 'em. Do something you normally wouldn't do for fear of looking like an idiot. Be that idiot. You'll be fine.
- Face your fears. There are the big fears, such as heights, spiders, tight spaces, and germs, but there are also hundreds of subtle fears we bow to every day. Like the fear of breaking a bone, or falling down, or getting caught in the rain. What are the precautions you take every day to circumvent "negative" circumstances? And are those circumstances really worth stepping around? Those steps add up! It's good to be proactive, but it's bad to let a significant portion of your life be devoted to averting things that never happen--Little things that could turn into adventures or funny stories if you allow yourself to deal with a little discomfort.
- Become comfortable with taking risks. Your comfort zone is comfortable because it's where you know what to expect. Going out on a limb can be scary because you might fail. You might lose something. But you might also gain something, huh? In order to become comfortable with that uncertainty, you'll need to practice the following:
- Non-attachment. When you decide to do something, do it for its own sake, not so that you can get a particular result. If you gamble, gamble with money you're ready and willing to lose; gamble for the fun and exhilaration of gambling. If you win, that's icing on the cake! But if you lose, no big deal. In other words, let go of your attachment to a certain outcome; instead, focus on the joy of doing whatever you're doing. Live in the moment.
- Acceptance. When things don't go your way, and they won't, shrug it off. If you're clinging to your comfort zone, you're hanging on to an idea that the world is supposed to be a safe, predictable place, and that's an illusion. You're setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. Open your eyes. The world is a dynamic place where things go right and wrong. That's just the way it is!
- You might also want to read How to Be Laid Back.
- Enjoy the unknown. When's the last time you felt excited about not knowing what was going to happen next? If you're deep in your comfort zone, it's probably been a while. Don't you miss it? Don't you miss the mixture of anticipation and anxiety that makes your heart flutter and stomach turn at the same time? Bring that feeling back into your life.
Tips
- Find or date someone as crazy as you are. When you discover that person who brings out the adventurous side from within you, it will help to encourage your development tremendously. These people can be easy to spot and will be found, for example, five miles away from home after packing up only a camera, tent, and food, to go camping in the woods. Spontaneity is a great contrast to someone like yourself who may not be comfortable or familiar with stepping out of your comfort zone often.
Warnings
- Don't confuse stepping out of your comfort zone with being reckless and stupid. There's a difference between being reckless and accepting risks. Reckless people don't accept risks-they don't even think about them. You should know the risks, and decide to go through with the decision anyway, ready and willing to accept the consequences if things don't work out.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.