The following article was published in Cascade Business News, June 21 2000

"Move Out of Your Comfort Zone"

By Ann Golden Eglé, PCC , CPCC Of Golden Visions Success Coaching

Age is no criterion when it comes to changing your life. In fact, it might be just the opposite. The older we get, the more we must change."

Change is what keeps us fresh and innovative. Change is what keeps us from getting stale and stuck in a rut. Change is what keeps us young.

This is especially true in today's business climate, where companies are streamlining and downsizing. You simply cannot use age as an excuse. You cannot say you're too old to change, too set in your ways, too accustomed to what you're doing.

The older we get the more set in our ways we become. We've found out what our comfort level is, and we all want to stay in it. We don't want to be risk takers anymore, because risk frightens us, and simply not changing seems so easy.

"We must fight through this. We must look fear straight in the eye and take it on. We must tell ourselves that we have too much talent, too much wisdom, too much value not to change. In today's economic climate we have no choice."

From "Success Is A Choice", By Rick Pitino (Boston Celtics Coach & former Kentucky Wildcats Coach who led them to the 1996 NCAA championship)

Getting stuck in our comfort zone is a killer to our self esteem, self exploration and discover at any age. It allows us to lose our edge, our clarity, perspective and courage.

Where have you used ‘age’ or ‘comfort’ as an excuse? I have heard people in their 20’s use it and their fear of expanding outside of what is comfortable and known to them, so this is not merely an issue for those who have reached a certain age. It can affect all of us!

Why not come alive this week and move through any age or comfort limitations that you have placed upon yourself? Make a commitment to increasing your awareness around this and change just one little thing to alter your comfort zone!

Ann Golden Eglé, CPPC (certified personal and professional coach), owner of Golden Visions Success Coaching, coaches executives, professionals, sales/marketing reps and entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Eglé also produces a free coaching "Thought of the Week", which is distributed via e-mail. Contact Ann at 541-385-8887 or CoachAnn@attglobal.net.

Reprinted with permission from the Cascade Business News, June, 2000