We all have a comfort zone, a place where we feel in control. Some try to escape it while most stay there because it’s “good enough”.

The thing about being in the comfort zone is that there’s only so much you can learn whilst staying there. Eventually, you’ll reach saturation and want to grow. But at the edge of this comfort zone, just before you move into new territory, is something called “the terror barrier”.

The terror barrier is essentially the wall of fear, anxiety, and doubt that you crash into when you start something new. Your mind begins to say, “Do I really need to do this?”, “The earlier job was comfortable enough” or “I guess this isn’t a good idea as I thought it would be.”

This is your nervous system going haywire because a new idea is being introduced into your subconscious. See, when you are just thinking of doing something, it’s still in your conscious mind, not really threatening your existing paradigm. But the moment you start acting on it, you begin getting emotionally involved and it begins to enter your subconscious.

What do you do then?

First, you need to figure out if you really want this. If you do, then you need to go through this unpleasant phase without quitting. Keep these points in mind:

1. You have to let go of your need to be perfect. You cannot expect to immediately get to a place that others take years to achieve. Just focus on taking the first step.
2. Set small goals for yourself and go step by step. No matter how big your dreams are, you can always start small. This reduces the anxiety to a large extent because stuff just seems more doable.
3. See the process as a growth opportunity. This reduces the fear of “What if I don’t get what I want?” Because even if you don’t, you still learn a lot along the way.
4. Recognize the terror barrier as what it is- just an indication that you are growing. Don’t let it fool you into thinking you can’t do it. As you progress and get results, you’ll have more confidence.

Even the best of us crash into the terror barrier. But as someone who is investing time developing themselves, you’ll know what it means and go through it with faith.