Articles
Get out of your comfort zone
by Philippe Moisan Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer The first time I heard the expression in the title was in 1995.In a Amway meeting.
I was an Amway distributor for a year.
I "showed the plan" a few times. I was never able to approach people about my business opportunity. Well, almost never. I will always remember the last person I approached. It was a colleague at the office. His answer is imprinted in my mind :
Encore une affaire pour achaler le monde !
Translated :
Yet another thing to bother people !
I've come a long way since then. I've been recognized by my peers in the Quebec software industry for hospitals as someone who gives top notch service.
However, expressing my opinions on business matters eluded me. Until I learned how my good friend Andy Anderson deals with people who dare say a business is ethical when it clearly isn't.
That was 3 months ago.
Day by day since then, I took chances at expressing my thoughts when I felt something wasn't right. First at IMfaceplate, when I dared say to a member sending me a PM with an unsolicited link that it was spam.
I was choosing my words very carefully, at first, afraid to get a bad reputation, making sure what I was saying was the truth, but saying it nice and gentle.
Only a few complained, saying they had the right to send a link since I had started following them.
At ApSense, I have made my "coming out".
Not only did I start to report abuses, I mentioned I was doing it. Right in the next comment.
Little by little, I got more guts. I found myself posting in comments that I expected more information when the person had written a short one-paragraph blog.
Am I a hero ? Am I better than the guy next door ? Or am I simply foolish ? Won't I alienate the members to whom I suggest to work harder on their blogs ?
It hasn't happened. Many times, either the people appreciate the comment, or they make the modifications anyway, cause other members say the same things I did.
If I sound like "Look, I know what I'm doing", you misinterpret my intentions.
What I'm trying to say is, it is possible to get out or your comfort zone.
I could have chosen to write general things on the subject.
Instead, I described my journey toward doing just that.
My comfort zone in IM has expanded.
I'll leave you with one last thought I've read in many success books and articles :
However, expressing my opinions on business matters eluded me. Until I learned how my good friend Andy Anderson deals with people who dare say a business is ethical when it clearly isn't.
That was 3 months ago.
Day by day since then, I took chances at expressing my thoughts when I felt something wasn't right. First at IMfaceplate, when I dared say to a member sending me a PM with an unsolicited link that it was spam.
I was choosing my words very carefully, at first, afraid to get a bad reputation, making sure what I was saying was the truth, but saying it nice and gentle.
Only a few complained, saying they had the right to send a link since I had started following them.
At ApSense, I have made my "coming out".
Not only did I start to report abuses, I mentioned I was doing it. Right in the next comment.
Little by little, I got more guts. I found myself posting in comments that I expected more information when the person had written a short one-paragraph blog.
Am I a hero ? Am I better than the guy next door ? Or am I simply foolish ? Won't I alienate the members to whom I suggest to work harder on their blogs ?
It hasn't happened. Many times, either the people appreciate the comment, or they make the modifications anyway, cause other members say the same things I did.
If I sound like "Look, I know what I'm doing", you misinterpret my intentions.
What I'm trying to say is, it is possible to get out or your comfort zone.
I could have chosen to write general things on the subject.
Instead, I described my journey toward doing just that.
My comfort zone in IM has expanded.
I'll leave you with one last thought I've read in many success books and articles :
IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO !
:)
:)
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About Philippe Moisan 
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
4,461 connections, 182 recommendations, 13,910 honor points.Joined APSense since, August 20th, 2010, From Quebec, Canada.
Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.
Comments
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Robert (Bob) Timper
 MarketerYes, we do need to get out of our comfort zone so we can move forward. Dec 2nd 2010 05:34 |
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Lonnie Niver
 Niver's ArtI know what you are saying. A few days ago I received an invite to chat but the person wasn't looking to chat. He was looking to spam me with his product. It made me mad but I step out of my comfort zone and tried something different. I responded back telling him that spamming the chat was not good for business and then offered to swap links. he said he wasn't interested so , I proceed to explain that you can't go around spamming if you're not willing to take a look at another persons opportunity. I have expanded more on my comments too! Dec 2nd 2010 11:54 |
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Vps Malhotra
Free LancerGET out of the comfort zone applies to each one of us and ig He can Do so We can do now follow Moisian to the hilt and win I am his fan and follower results would comw Thanks Phillepe for nice motivational thought I was also adisrtibutor in Amway some years back in India but could click the comfort zone intervened well said Dec 2nd 2010 19:43 |
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Joe Griffith
Profesionsl marketerEveryone has their opnion and the one that counts is yours Dec 2nd 2010 21:44 |
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Geraldine Mostert
 Affiliate, house/petsitterThe comfort zone is not the place to be especially when you're down and broke. Here I talk of experience. Dec 3rd 2010 00:40 |
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Agus Pramono
 FreelanceI "showed the plan" a few times. I was never able to approach people about my business opportunity. Well, almost never. I will always remember the last person I approached. It was a colleague at the office. His answer is imprinted in my mind Dec 3rd 2010 01:31 |
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Philippe Moisan
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer@Agus, you haven't come to the right place for abusing. In case you didn't know, I have a good memory of what I have written. You copied and pasted from my blog to post your comment. Reported. Dec 3rd 2010 01:34 |
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Neville Dinning
Independent ConsultantAnother interesting post by Philippe. I haven't really considered trying to sell back to a spammer. If I feel strongly about the issue I will report it and also remove contact with the person that I believe to be spamming. Dec 6th 2010 05:59 |
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Travis Winn
 Business and Marketing CoachI notice my income grows as my comfort level expands. Nice post! Dec 6th 2010 12:52 |
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Philippe Moisan
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer@Nev I'm blushing now :) @Rich, you get the idea :) Dec 6th 2010 12:57 |
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Chuck Bartok
Veteran Entrepreneur now SharingAs always, Phillipe your analysis is spot on. One thing to add is that those who are Marketing poorly can be contacted and it is not wrong to ASK them if they would like to improve their results. And I also support your integrity in sharing YOUR philosophy. You may not appeal to everyone... But who cares. It is more FUN to do business with like minded. We started a discussion on our Facebook Fan page about Candor and the expression of your belief. Go to the fan page Best Business Mindset and click on Discussion. Share you honest feelings Dec 6th 2010 13:48 |
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Patsy j Payne
konnektions konsultantMembers of APSense have gotten me way out of my comfort zone. I'm accomplishing tasks I never would have thought of 6months ago. There are also several members here that encourage me to grow and pull myself up "by the bootstraps". I am very excited to learn from others and practice what I am learning. Dec 6th 2010 21:11 |
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Philippe Moisan
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer@Patsy, name those people, give other members the chance to know them too. Dec 6th 2010 21:12 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
 Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI remember the first time I sat in that dispatcher's chair at the police department by myself with my knees knocking. I spent 8 hours listing every "what if" I could think of because I was actually scared to get a call, scared to answer 911, Scared to talk on the radio but I did it. I was so terrified of not being able to do the job. Then I was terrified of not being able to do a good job. Then one day I looked up and realized that every time we got a new cop from the academy once he finished field training the chief would put them on my shift. He was trusting me with newbies who barely new where to find the switch for the siren in their car. That was when I realized just how far my comfort zone had expanded. But the big lesson was if you can do it once, you can do it again! Dec 6th 2010 21:22 |
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Patsy j Payne
konnektions konsultantOK, let me look at my friendship list...brb Louise Venison, Philippe M, Paula van Dun, Wincer Song, Dawie, Katrina Oakley, pplcheryl63, mytreasure, Andy Zeus Anderson, Cindy Bolley, bjantiques, If I overlooked someone, I apologize. Each of these members has a different area of expertise. Thank you, Philippe...holding my feet to the fire. Be more specific Dec 6th 2010 21:28 |
Every person has got rights to express their comments and opinions on business.
Dec 2nd 2010 01:35