Most of us don’t really like change, do we? We tend to err on the side of comfort and safety, and will often choose the ‘known’ over the ‘unknown’ just because it’s familiar, even if the ‘unknown’ holds some great possibilities.

You may have seen the diagram of two circles: one small one with ‘your comfort zone’ written inside it, and another larger one, set apart from the small one, with the words ‘where the magic happens’ (or ‘learning zone’). It is expressing in visual form the fact that you have to move outside of your comfort zone in order for better things, or more valuable experiences, to happen.

There is nothing wrong with staying in your comfort zone. But often the people who do are the same ones who lament that ‘nothing good ever comes my way’ or ‘why are other people so lucky?’. So although there is always a choice to stay comfortable, it comes at a cost.

Sometimes change is forced upon us, and although it can be unpleasant, it should always be viewed as an opportunity to grow and learn. The learning might simply be ‘I don’t want to go through that again!’ and putting safeguards in place to ensure that it doesn’t. But hopefully, it also gives you some impetus to make some intentional change. Not just change for the sake of it, but using what might appear to be a negative turn of events as a catalyst for some positive change.

So often, it is not the changes themselves that stops us (that is, we can often think of positive reasons why the change is good), but it’s the fear of doing something we haven’t done before.

How do you know if it’s the right direction to take? You won’t always know. How do you know it’s going to OK? You don’t. But don’t let that stop you taking action and learning valuable lessons in the process. In the words of George Bernard Shaw: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender

“A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are built for.” This quote by John A. Shedd is so interesting for women in business. Most of us spend a great deal of time in our personal lives protecting and keeping safe those around us. So sometimes our instinct in business can be the same: to avoid risk and keep our business ‘safe’.

Occupational and hazardous risks aside, taking risk and moving outside the ‘safe zone’ is something that every highly successful business has done. Read the biographies of any entrepreneur or industry leader, such as Richard Branson or Steve Jobs, and you will see numerous examples of pushing themselves and their companies into ‘risky’ situations.

This is not to say that all their risks paid off: in fact many of them didn’t! And I am also not suggesting that we all need to follow the extreme examples of Branson and Co. in our own businesses.

But as this quote suggests, as a business owner, you have a particular set of skills. You likely started your business because you dared to dream that you could be a success. If you are being ‘safe’ are you doing what you were built to do?

So I am challenging you to re-capture those big dreams! Ask yourself:

-       What needs to change?

-       How can I do business better?

-       How can I exceed the expectations of my customers?

-       What can I do to create a truly unique experience for people who come into contact with my business?

-       What calculated risks can I take?

-       How can I generate passion and excitement amongst my staff to help me achieve my goals?

Are you prepared to try and fail rather than wonder what might have been?

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender

"Snowboarding to me isn't about the accolades. It isn't about competing. I do it because I love to snowboard, not because I love to compete.". Torah Bright is becoming one of Australia’s most well known Olympians, not just because she has won, and continues to win medals. But more so because of her attitude to what she does.

Torah’s friends have described her as someone who refuses to be limited by outside expectations. This Winter Olympics she has added a third snowboarding challenge: her past success has been in half-pipe and slope-style, and this year she has added ‘snowboard-cross’ to her competition. When asked why she doesn’t just focus on the disciplines that are her strengths, she says “This is about pushing boundaries...I call it character building. It’s a chance for the inner Torah to come out”.

What an amazing attitude! In business we are often told “do what you love” and “focus on your strengths”. Which is not bad advice. But Torah has taken this a step further and decided that she needs to pursue areas that will grow and stretch her, even if they are not ‘areas of strength’ yet. She is choosing to challenge herself, not for reasons of glory and winning, but for her own enjoyment, achievement and sense of joy.

Do you feel that way about your business? Do you find joy in what you do? Or are you going through the motions of what you think you need to do, according to other people’s expectations? These are big questions, but important ones for ensuring that we are living our life truly doing what we love and what fulfils our potential.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender