Ani Naqvi Of Ultimate Results Group On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone to Grow Both Personally and Professionally
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Learn from failure — This is as important as remembering to not take yourself too seriously. One of the biggest reasons why it is difficult to come out of our comfort zone is the fear of failure. How often have you stopped yourself from going after something you wanted because of fear of failure. Try to normalise failure as part of the process. Don’t get discouraged and stop yourself from getting back up and trying again. Reflect on went wrong so you can course direct next time if you need to.
It feels most comfortable to stick with what we are familiar with. But anyone who has achieved great success will tell you that true growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. What are some ways that influential people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to grow both personally and professionally? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ani Naqvi.
Ani Naqvi is the Founder and CEO of the Ultimate Results Group, who are dedicated to achieving maximum positive impact for your life and your business. A Transformational Expert devoted to empowering leaders to live their lives fully, with clarity, alignment, and purpose.
A survivor of the 2004 Asian tsunami, facing death, Ani’s life changed forever. In front of a studio audience speaking to Oprah Winfrey, Ani made a commitment to make the most of her life and this inspired her mission.
“To inspire, motivate and empower at least a quarter of a million people, to live their lives with passion, purpose, and joy, in honour of the same number that died in the tsunami.”
18 years on and she’s impacted the lives of many experts, entrepreneurs, business owners and C suite execs to unlock their true potential and continues to honour her mission.
An ICF accredited master coach with over 2500 hours of coaching and 1000 hours of Vipassana meditation practice over the past 5 years alone, she has experienced first-hand what is needed for true realisation.
Ani is an expert in the power of the mind, mindfulness, meditation, Ayurveda the holistic science of life, yoga, breath work, somatic release, mental fitness, neuroscience, neuroplasticity and NLP.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was born and grew up in London to Asian parents (Pakistani). I had a typical upbringing, and the focus was on doing well at school and training to get into a good profession. My father was a lawyer, and it was expected that I would follow a similar path.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” We have to show up as the person we want to see in the world rather than trying to change the world to fit us. When we do this, we create change which goes beyond our own lives like a ripple effect.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Many Lives Many Masters, Positive Intelligence, Journey of Souls, How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body to name a few. Many Lives Many Masters mainly because it was everything, I believed to be true as a child and then dismissed as I became older. It was almost like a reminder that death isn’t really death but a door to a different dimension.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does “getting outside of your comfort zone” mean?
Stretching yourself to do things and overcome fears that hold you back so you can really reach your highest potential.
Can you help articulate a few reasons why it is important to get out of your comfort zone?
Until you are in the stretch zone you are not really growing and developing. Staying comfortable keeps you safe but it halts your growth and life experience.
Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Can you explain what you mean?
I would say it’s not possible. We can maintain a steady level of success within our comfort zone but if we want to move to the next level, we must focus on what is outside our natural circle of ability and familiarity. Looking at this from a different angle, if you are a growth orientated person who sets yourself regular goals you will always feel uncomfortable and restricted in your comfort zone.
Can you share some anecdotes from your personal experience? Can you share a story about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow? How does it feel to take those first difficult steps?
When I decided to share my story of surviving the 2004 Asian Tsunami and write a book about my experience. Even though I was clear on my vision and motivation to write and get the book published, I knew it would require me to step out my comfort zone. It is a long process that has required me to get comfortable with being visible and sharing my story.
Here is the central question of our discussion. What are your “five ways to push past your comfort zone, to grow both personally and professionally”?
1 . Get comfortable with discomfort — I was recently a keynote speaker at a major business show. This was something that I knew I wanted to do but there was also a lot of resistance around putting myself out there in such a big way. What I found is that the more I practiced my speech before the event the easier it became to deliver it on the day. Since then, I have also found it easier to speak in front of an audience in similar environments. I moved past the discomfort because I faced my fear. I have also proved that I can do the thing that made uncomfortable and with that grown my confidence in this area.
2 . Identify how stepping outside your comfort zone will benefit you.
In the past I felt unsure about marketing myself online and using social media to share my story. What helped me was to get clear on how stepping up in this way would support my personal and business growth. Focusing less on the perceived problem and more on what the benefits are if you overcome that hurdle will help to drive you forwards when you feel like you are holding yourself back.
3. Switch your mindset — Often when we are faced with the idea of something that might push us into somewhere that feels uncertain or make us feel like we are out of our depth our mind focuses on the worst possible outcome rather than what could go well. Try enjoying the process of stepping outside your comfort zone and fully step into this new experience. You never know it might be fun and you might learn something new about yourself.
4. Remember not to take yourself too seriously — Whenever we are doing something new that stretches us or even scares us, we can pile the pressure on to succeed. There will always be something we have to push ourselves to do that for the sake of our growth that doesn’t come naturally. Try to be kind to yourself and remember that progress is better than perfection.
5. Learn from failure — This is as important as remembering to not take yourself too seriously. One of the biggest reasons why it is difficult to come out of our comfort zone is the fear of failure. How often have you stopped yourself from going after something you wanted because of fear of failure. Try to normalise failure as part of the process. Don’t get discouraged and stop yourself from getting back up and trying again. Reflect on went wrong so you can course direct next time if you need to.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that keep someone from pushing out of their comfort zone?
The three most common barriers I see that stop my clients from pushing themselves out of their comfort zone are
- Fear — obviously this is the biggest one and the fear of having a new experience and the unknown can be enough to keep us stuck.
- The comfortable feeling of staying where we are — comfort is linked to safety and why would we make ourselves feel unsafe or comfortable if we don’t need to
- A fixed mindset — It takes a growth mindset to push us out of our comfort zone. If you have a fixed mindset, you are less motivated to look for new experiences and opportunities because you don’t think they are possible for you.
There is a well-known quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “Do something that scares you every day”. What exactly does this mean to you? Is there inherent value in doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, even if it does not relate to personal or professional growth? For example, if one is uncomfortable about walking alone at night should they purposely push themselves to do it often for the sake of going beyond their comfort zone? Can you please explain what you mean?
It’s a great quote and there is certainly some truth in the idea of doing something that scares us every day when we look at how this links to our personal growth. What we need to remember is there a huge difference between a calculated risk and one which as you mention here is a potential risk to our safety.
We can take small steps each day that stretch us and take us out of our comfort zone but these steps should be linked to a specific goal and a bigger vision.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would like to create support services to help young men with their emotional wellbeing. I would also want to lobby to change the laws for women and children who suffer from any violence, domestic abuse or sexual assault. Right now, conviction rates are dismally low, which basically says we don’t count in law, so that is where I would want to focus my efforts.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Amal Clooney’s work in human rights advocacy has been nothing short of inspiring to me. She sets an amazing example for young girls and women everywhere as she continues to fight those in need to get the rights they deserve.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Ani Naqvi Of Ultimate Results Group On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone to Grow Both Personally… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.