Staying in your comfort zone is a really attractive and easy place to stay in purely because you recognise it and know it so well. This compared to what is outside your comfort zone seems an advantage because there are some unknown uncertainties, new experiences to step into, and new parts of yourself that are waiting for you outside your comfort zone. Even when you know your comfort zone is no longer ideal for you, and what is outside your comfort zone is way better for you, the hesitation experienced to say goodbye to your comfort zone is so real that it feels like a solid wall.

Now here is a ‘Captain Obvious’ moment I will remind you of. Your goal you want to achieve is outside your comfort zone. You need to break through that wall of hesitation to achieve your goal. Easier said than done I know because fear likes to jump in and sit on that wall, dressed in a variety of costumes, all to keep you (Ahem) “safe” by staying in your comfort zone.

So how do you say goodbye to your comfort zone and break through that wall of hesitation to achieve your goal, without taking a lot of time, energy, and mental head space worrying, scenario ‘what if’ planning, and pacing in your mind and physically? Apply the…

Speak Afraid Method.

That goal you want is instigating a change. This change is disrupting your comfort zone because you know you need to step out of it to achieve your goal. It means fear and hesitation is there blocking you, and the Speak Afraid Method is designed to help you redirect that fear into courage to communicate with yourself, and others around you, so you may break through that wall of fear and hesitation, and walk with growing confidence to your goal.

One of the things fear will try and convince you of is that you have to start from scratch. It will be like a start over experience. This is incorrect. The Speak Afraid Method starts with all that you have right now, to use and shape it into what you need to achieve your goal.

Some of the many things fear asks you is, “Who do you think you are? Do you really think you have what it takes to achieve that goal? And if you did, what makes you think you will fit in with others there?” This is fear attacking your identity. How you see yourself is what greatly shapes your confidence and how you communicate. Each of these is what helps you achieve your goal. Fear knows this, which is why it attacks your identity or self image through these questions. The Speak Afraid Method is designed to help you see who you are now, and walk in confidence as you get to know who you are becoming. Consider it like creating an environment for you to get to know yourself as you grow into your goal.

The Speak Afraid Method is a path that you may use every time a change in your life asks you to step out of your comfort zone and into your new life adventure, career, or communication style. It's because change influences the way you speak, and the way you speak influences the changes you are going through today. Both are highly related to each other, impacting your experiences in each, and shaping if you achieve your goal or not.

Below is an exercise to apply that will prepare you to apply to the Speak Afraid Method in your life right now. For this exercise, let's name the space outside your comfort zone, your growth zone.

Exercise

I invite you to design your growth zone. It may actually be a physical space to help you create your growth zone perspective within you, or you may create this space within you via your imagination or mind’s eye. Let’s get started.

Imagine a new room or outdoor space and it is blank. You feel it inspiring you to create a growth zone within this space.

Now design it without judgement, only use curiosity, imagination, and creativity that is your own. Please do not fall for the trap of trying to be like someone else. This is a space only you will see the design of so please create it how you want to.

Your goal of your growth zone is to encourage you to keep moving in confidence to your dreams, goals or to help you keep living your purpose. It needs space to rest too because rest fuels movement. More on this inside the Speak Afraid audiobook available now.

For me, it is a garden because a garden represents different seasons. It has fruit trees which symbolise to me the continuous fruit producing benefits of self-development, and that it sometimes means no fruit, damaged fruit, as well as an abundance of the best fruit ever. It has loads of bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and moths, which represent all the people that come and go which I learn from, receive support from, who I may support and help, all as I grow as a person.

Design your growth zone. You can journal about it, draw it, sculpt it, record yourself delivering a speech about it, dream about it, create a vision wall of it. Sometimes having someone as a sounding board who has done this before may help you get started on this, release self judgement so you no longer limit yourself in the growth zone, and to remind yourself how to have fun in this zone. I know it helped me when I first started shaping my growth zone and growing my confidence to walk through it. I may be that person for you and I can be that person inside our Speak Afraid Group Program. (The founding cohort starts October 2026).​

You need to say goodbye to your comfort zone to achieve your goals and it isn’t about starting over. It is about starting from where you are at right now with all that you have, and using it to shape your journey and self-discovery of you, as you achieve your goal. You may do this by using the Speak Afraid Method because it is what helps you redirect that fear, wanting you to stay in comfort and not break through your wall of hesitation. I believe you have the power to Speak Afraid because it helped me keep going through many fearful moments over the last seven years, including facing my public speaking fear of performing stand-up comedy to a crowd of about 500 people. So why not go ahead, have a go and experience what Speak Afraid may do for you.

All the best, Susan.