One of the main worries or fears I hear from introverts sounds like this:

“How am I supposed to put myself out there when I’m too introverted for that?”
OR
“How can I move towards what I want when it feels overwhelming just thinking about it?”

Have you said anything like that to yourself?

I’m an introvert too and I know I’ve said those things. Luckily, I have learned through experience that phrases like “I’m too introverted for that” or “I won’t be able to handle it” are false. Not just for me, but false for all of us.

I’m not saying you need to become someone other than yourself either. In fact, don’t do that! It won’t help or feel good. I’ll explain.

Overwhelm Not Required

The truth is that you don’t have to get overwhelmed or drained when you go for something you want. No matter if you’re introverted, extroverted, or in between. Really.

Our human brains play a trick on us, trying to keep us safe, by telling us that if we leave the comfort zone of the known, we’ll freak out or get overwhelmed, like in the image below.

That’s the fear part of the mind trying to keep us safe. Simple survival system. Not very sophisticated.

So we feel stuck and we stop moving forward. It’s very common to get stuck right there.

I’ll explain in the video below with a simple diagram that will give you a big Aha moment. (Making the video was outside my comfort zone so you can watch me facing my discomfort zone in real life.)

The Truth About Your Comfort Zone

In reality, we all get nervous when going for something new or when speaking up about something new. And we can all move beyond our comfort zones, in a way that is easier and safer than your mind seems to think. No extrovert mask required.

I know this might sound radical: Leaving the comfort zone without freaking out? Trying something new in a way that feels easy, and true to your introverted nature? Yep.

Stay with me here. I’m going to draw something for you that will help you see the answer clearly.

A Simple Roadmap to Moving Forward Without Overwhelm…

I have found myself drawing a simple “roadmap” for my clients and they feel a big relief when they see this little drawing. They start moving forward in ways that surprise them! Not by forcing themselves to do something icky, but because they’re naturally pulled forward when the path to what they want comes clear.

So I made a short video to show you the roadmap I show them. I’m hearing from people that this video is helping them. You can click to watch below. See if it helps you relax those shoulders and feel more hopeful about moving forward on something that once felt impossible.

Creating a homemade video to post online was a moment of stepping outside my own comfort zone. I purposely filmed the video in one take and did no editing because I want you to see the real me, stepping into my discomfort zone. If I’m going to be encouraging others to try new things, I gotta do it myself, right?

A tip: Think of something you’re nervous about (small or large), and then watch this video with that worry in mind. OK, ready?

How Do You Feel After Watching That?

After watching that video, now check in on how you feel about that worry you held in mind. Is a little hope starting to grow? Breathe that in.

Let that hope take up a little space in your heart before the inner skeptic takes hold again. That inner skeptic is quite persistent, isn’t it? You might need to watch the video again tomorrow. Or draw the diagram for yourself as a reminder.

I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Comments always welcome below. Thanks!

P.S., At the end of the video, I mentioned that I should film a follow-up video to make it even more clear how to use the roadmap. I’m happy to say that video is in the works! (Making that first video made it easier the next time. Nice how that works.)  In the next video, I explain 3 simple ways to reduce the overwhelm feeling when it arises. Stay tuned by subscribing to my newsletter, in the yellow box below.