lf, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s

Years ago, I attended a seminar about the “comfort zone.” The instructor explained the basics of how we live our lives. It seems that once we settle into a routine , that establishes a comfort zone that we tend to cling to. Whether it’s our home, job, or friends, we adapt to where we are and how we do things. That’s why, when we experience a sudden change or disruption, we overreact and go into a frenzy. It’s like being shocked by an electrical charge. We feel fear and pain. Let me give you an example.

Suppose that we learn we’ve been transferred to a new job in a new city by our employer. This uprooting will cause a ripple affect that is very traumatic. We’ll need a new house, will have to learn our way around a new city, and we’ll shed old friends. We’ve been forced out of our comfort zone and are floundering. It’s uncomfortable and we fight to reestablish one as soon as we arrive in our new town. It’s human nature and also the cause of many problems. Why would that be? Because, conversely, it’s also it the foundation of stagnation.

Say that you are living in a small town with few options for employment and shopping and other things to do. Moving to a large city would open up a plethora of opportunities. But you are reluctant because you are basically a small-town person. You hate the thought of moving and confronting the crowds and the faster-paced lifestyle. So, instead, you languish in your small town, all the while complaining of your plight and the lack of potential. Poor you. But, if you seize the moment, you could reinvent yourself. It’s the same for starting a business. Assume you’re a factory worker making $15 an hour. It’s okay money and the benefits are good. The company is solid and you’ve been employed there for 10 years. You only have 15 more years to get your pension and life is fine. So why are you so unhappy? You get up every day dreading the routine job. It’s boring and unfulfilling. You yearn to be your own boss. You’ve thought about starting your own business, but lack the funds. So, once in a while, you drag out the business plan for a restaurant you’ve secretly created and dream about what might have been. What’s going on here?

Well, you’re in a comfort zone for both good and bad. It’s a routine that is stagnant and yet familiar. If you truly wanted to start that restaurant, you would have to get a second mortgage to fund the project and that is unthinkable. Why? Because it would put you in debt and cause a tremendous amount of stress and strain on the marriage. Everyone would suffer. So you push aside your dream and suffer in silence. The truth is that no new business ever started by itself. If you had enough passion and conviction and faith in yourself, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s t

house, will have to learn our way around a new city, and we’ll shed old friends. We’ve been forced out of our comfort zone and are floundering. It’s uncomfortable and we fight to reestablish one as soon as we arrive in our new town. It’s human nature and also the cause of many problems. Why would that be? Because, conversely, it’s also it the foundation of stagnation.

Say that you are living in a small town with few options for employment and shopping and other things to do. Moving to a large city would open up a plethora of opportunities. But you are reluctant because you are basically a small-town person. You hate the thought of moving and confronting the crowds and the faster-paced lifestyle. So, instead, you languish in your small town, all the while complaining of your plight and the lack of potential. Poor you. But, if you seize the moment, you could reinvent yourself. It’s the same for starting a business. Assume you’re a factory worker making $15 an hour. It’s okay money and the benefits are good. The company is solid and you’ve been employed there for 10 years. You only have 15 more years to get your pension and life is fine. So why are you so unhappy? You get up every day dreading the routine job. It’s boring and unfulfilling. You yearn to be your own boss. You’ve thought about starting your own business, but lack the funds. So, once in a while, you drag out the business plan for a restaurant you’ve secretly created and dream about what might have been. What’s going on here?

Well, you’re in a comfort zone for both good and bad. It’s a routine that is stagnant and yet familiar. If you truly wanted to start that restaurant, you would have to get a second mortgage to fund the project and that is unthinkable. Why? Because it would put you in debt and cause a tremendous amount of stress and strain on the marriage. Everyone would suffer. So you push aside your dream and suffer in silence. The truth is that no new business ever started by itself. If you had enough passion and conviction and faith in yourself, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s

he faster-paced lifestyle. So, instead, you languish in your small town, all the while complaining of your plight and the lack of potential. Poor you. But, if you seize the moment, you could reinvent yourself. It’s the same for starting a business. Assume you’re a factory worker making $15 an hour. It’s okay money and the benefits are good. The company is solid and you’ve been employed there for 10 years. You only have 15 more years to get your pension and life is fine. So why are you so unhappy? You get up every day dreading the routine job. It’s boring and unfulfilling. You yearn to be your own boss. You’ve thought about starting your own business, but lack the funds. So, once in a while, you drag out the business plan for a restaurant you’ve secretly created and dream about what might have been. What’s going on here?

Well, you’re in a comfort zone for both good and bad. It’s a routine that is stagnant and yet familiar. If you truly wanted to start that restaurant, you would have to get a second mortgage to fund the project and that is unthinkable. Why? Because it would put you in debt and cause a tremendous amount of stress and strain on the marriage. Everyone would suffer. So you push aside your dream and suffer in silence. The truth is that no new business ever started by itself. If you had enough passion and conviction and faith in yourself, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s

e in a while, you drag out the business plan for a restaurant you’ve secretly created and dream about what might have been. What’s going on here?

Well, you’re in a comfort zone for both good and bad. It’s a routine that is stagnant and yet familiar. If you truly wanted to start that restaurant, you would have to get a second mortgage to fund the project and that is unthinkable. Why? Because it would put you in debt and cause a tremendous amount of stress and strain on the marriage. Everyone would suffer. So you push aside your dream and suffer in silence. The truth is that no new business ever started by itself. If you had enough passion and conviction and faith in yourself, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s

lf, you would head for the bank and talk to that loan officer. Once you chose that path, let’s look at some scenarios.

One would be that you get the loan and work on the plan while still at the plant. Then, one day you open the restaurant and quit while making your dream come true. Another might be that you run out of money and need a partner or investors to make it happen. But the restaurant manages to open and you simply must share the profits.. Still another could be that you don’t want to add any more money to the plan and abandon the whole idea. A final possibility is that your restaurant fails and you go back to the plant, in debt and more miserable than ever. It’s the fear of failure that will ultimately keep you from succeeding or even trying. You would have to risk too much and that would push you way out of your comfort zone. So why try at all?

It’s the entrepreneurial spirit that made this country great. It was what brought the Puritans to America and eventually pushed the wagons westward to the Pacific ocean. It was the hope of a better life. These people took chances, knowing that the odds were against them. They left friends and family to take that chance. So, will you stay in your comfort zone or roll the dice? I can guarantee that if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Taking risks is an American tradition that’s rooted in figures like Franklin and Jefferson. They left the comfort of King George’s protection to forge a new nation. They had far more to lose than you do. So, what’s it going to be? A new possible future for you and your family or the same old thing? It’s a risky business but that’s also the thrill of the unknown and the potential success it may bring.