You have been planning, prioritizing, and executing every meticulous step of your life plan and you are well on your way down the path tow
ards success. As you carefully negotiate obstacles and overcome challenges that block your way, you look up and see success greeting you on the horizon. Reenergized and full of newfound motivation, you pick up the pace as you start to sense your dreams becoming a reality when you suddenly feel the ground fall out from beneath your feet. As you struggle to process what has just happened, you suddenly realize that you have just fallen into a large, inescapable hole.
The road to success is full of challenges and obstacles, but it is the trap that we do not prepare for that is the most deadly. The irony to it all is that you have just fallen prey to a device of your own ill design. This trap was built, baited, set and hidden by the person who knows you best…it was created by you. I call them Mindtraps.
In this 3 part series, I would like to talk about three different Mindtraps that lie ahead on your road to success. I believe if you can educate yourself to look out for them, then you can avoid them and arrive safely to your destination.
I present to you the first of three traps: The Thermostat Effect.
The Thermostat Effect
A thermostat is the control mechanism that you use to manipulate the air conditioner and heater in your home. It allows you to select a constant temperature that keeps your house cool in the hot summers and warm in the cold winters. When the temperature gets too warm, the thermostat will activate the air conditioner until the dwelling cools down to a predetermined temperature.
Just like maintaining a cool home during the summer, we like to maintain a similar comfort zone within our minds. Some things that keep us inside our mental comfort zone are stability, familiarity and repetitive actions (habits). When we operate within an area that is known and familiar, we feel a sense of control over our environments. We are creatures of habit and if you think about it, a large part of our lives are spent repeating the exact same tasks. Some things that push us outside of our comfort zone are new environments, change and uncertainty. When we operate in an area that is foreign to us, we feel a loss of control and experience stress because we aren’t quite sure what is safe or harmful in our new arena. We may also be carrying negative past experiences that are seemingly related to several factors within our new environments which can act to compound our stress.
Mental comfort zones have a useful purpose in life. When we start to fall below our current standard of living, the stress it triggers acts as a type of alarm that encourages us to get back to our proper place. Can you think of a time when you started moving backwards in life? Maybe you lost a job, fell behind on house payments or were living beyond your means. How did it feel? What consequences were you suddenly facing and did it make you realize that you needed to make some immediate changes in your life? When we fall outside of our comfort zone, stress starts to accumulate until we get back into our comfort zone or break down altogether. Take a moment to jot down a list of all the negative emotions you experienced at some point in your life when you started moving backwards. How did it affect you? Did you fall back and accept your new conditions or did you make changes to get back into your comfort zone?
So what does falling backwards in life have to do with moving towards success? According to the Thermostat Effect, it has everything to do with it. Something we often fail to recognize is the fact that anytime we move towards our goals, we are also choosing to leave a place of familiarity. By moving forward from our current position in life, we are purposely moving away from stability and many of our habits must change accordingly. And, even though this change is undoubtedly something positive and desirable in your life, how do you think it is going to affect your subconscious mind and inner emotions? Just like a thermostat, it really doesn’t matter whether you are moving backwards or forwards in life. The only thing that part of your mind is concerned with is maintaining its comfort zone.
Let’s go back to the list you made earlier. Take a closer look at those negative emotions you jotted down. According to the Thermostat Effect, you will likely encounter those exact same emotions as you start making progress towards your goals. How do you think that will make you feel? If you have made a mistake in the past that almost cost you your way of living, and now you are making changes to better yourself only to suddenly feel those same negative afflictions assaulting you, what do you think will be going through your mind? You inner mind is going to start telling you that you are making a mistake and that you need to get back into your comfort zone. Thoughts may start to creep up inside of you and you may think things like: Am I doing the right thing? Do I really have what it takes? Am I thinking too big? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong with me? And many times, these questions precede many people letting go of the good things that they both want and deserve in life.
The best way to break through the Thermostat Effect is through a two-step plan of education and action. Take some time in your daily planning to become aware of the Thermostat Effect. Moving forward in life means that we must leave our current comfort zone, and, leaving our comfort zone means experiencing the same feelings that we feel when we are moving in the wrong direction.
Consider this Mindtrap in your planning and make a list of feelings and emotions that are likely to come into play. When those feelings arrive, don’t get panicked or flustered, but tell yourself to keep moving forward towards your goals. Looking back, how many times have you traded in your dreams for the stability you valued so much? Can you see how you can “get stuck” in your current situation? Your current comfort zone can become an inescapable hole.
Thinking about the matter in this sense should lead you to a new conclusion that feeling the stresses of leaving your comfort zone is a positive thing…it means you are moving closer towards your dreams. Get excited to know that you are leaving your current position and heading in the proper direction. The feelings of discomfort are only temporary and as you experience progress you will start to develop new habits and gain familiarity with your new position in life.
By stepping outside of this phenomenon and taking a look at it from a distance, we can separate ourselves from this trap and not get caught up in meaningless personal interaction with it. I encourage everyone to move forward down their path with open eyes and to remember that temporary negative emotions can be a great sign of progress.
Keep moving forward!