Piece Of Mind Podcast
Welcome to Piece of Mind, where we piece together the parts of your mind to help you live a life that’s authentic, unapologetic, and absolutely fulfilling.
I’m your host Ashley Badman, a mindset coach and psychology student, here to guide you through the world of subconscious re-programming, relationships, belief systems, and patterns.
This isn’t your typical mindset podcast. We’re diving deep into the core of who you are, tackling everything from self-sabotage and people-pleasing to attachment styles and beyond. We’ll uncover the deeper shit that makes you who you are, so you can grow, evolve, and build a life you’re obsessed with.
Expect a mix of evidence-based insights, energetic shifts, and a touch of chaos as we explore how to heal, optimize, and re-program your life.
This podcast is for those who refuse to settle, who are committed to living life fully and getting the best for themselves.
Get ready for straight talk, practical strategies, and a few surprises along the way. If you’re ready to stop hiding from yourself and start living unapologetically, you’re in the right place. Tune in and let’s get into it.
Piece Of Mind Podcast
Ep 12: Mindset Reset Series Part 2 - Courage Over Comfort
Welcome to Episode 2 of “Mindset Reset for Your Best Year Yet,” a 5-part series to help you level up in 2025.
In this episode, we’re talking about courage over comfort: why meaningful growth demands bold choices and how to embrace discomfort as a path to becoming your strongest self.
You’ll learn what holds you back from taking courageous action, how to shift your mindset, and practical steps to build bravery into your everyday life.
This is your wake-up call to stop playing it safe and start stepping into the life you deserve.
Ready to choose courage? Let’s do this.
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Hello and welcome back to the Mindset Reset for your best year yet. I'm Ash, and I'm beyond excited to have you here for episode two. This series is all about equipping you with the mindset shifts and tools you need to make 2025 a year of transformation. Not a year where you set goals, you forget about them and you set some new year's resolutions and you never fucking do them, but a year where you actually show up for yourself and make things happen. In the last episode, we talked about letting go of what's holding you back and rewriting belief systems that align with your goals. That's really the foundation for what we're diving into today, which is courage over comfort. I really, really hope you guys have actually sat with the prompts that I gave you in episode one because, again, that's the actual taking action bit. It's one thing to listen to a podcast, it's one thing to read a book, but if you're not actually doing things that are the taking action bit, which is either answering the questions or going out and actually doing the thing that you've learned, then you're never going to actually create real change. So if you haven't done those prompts, I would pause this episode and I would use this as a moment to hold yourself accountable to the change that you want to create by going back to episode one and making sure that you are actually doing the prompts, because I actually do want you to get the most out of it.
Speaker 1:This episode is about why growth demands bold choices. Change is uncomfortable. That's the truth. That is the hard truth and as much as we wish that it was easy and cruisy and big breakthrough moments and celebrations and big life wins majority of the time yes, of course we have those things. But the actual change part, where you're actually creating the change whether it's to do with your behavior, your emotions, your environment, the choices that you're making, the life that you lead, the goals that you have it's going to require some really uncomfortable moments from you and I think when we can realize that and get okay with that and normalize that and not think that something's wrong with us because it's not easy and on social media it just looks so easy for everyone, I think it actually makes the journey a lot more enjoyable.
Speaker 1:The other thing that's really uncomfortable is growth. We all know the thing growing pains. It's the same with growing within yourself and your mindset and your life, our physical growing pains that we have when our body grows is the same as the pain that we feel, the uncomfortableness that we feel when we are growing, when we're changing our beliefs and we're letting go of old beliefs and we're choosing differently and all those different things. But if you want something different for your life, you have to stop letting comfort call all of the shots. You have to get honest with yourself about the ways you've been playing it small and you have to decide here and now to step into courage instead. So if you are really ready to leave playing it safe behind, then this episode is going to be great for you and let's dive in. So what we're going to start this with is defining it Courage over comfort.
Speaker 1:What does this mean? It is the choice to prioritize growth, progress and authenticity over what feels safe or what feels familiar. It's about doing the thing that you know will help you grow, even if it scares the shit out of you, even if it's messy and even if you don't feel ready. For some, that can be having uncomfortable conversations in a relationship. For others, it can be letting go of things in your life that you know it's time to let go of. For others, it might be applying for new job opportunities and risking it all in your life to go after what you actually want to go after. It can be so many different things. For others it could be signing up to therapy or seeing a psychologist. It could be signing up to health coaching and getting your health in check. It could be signing up to mindset coaching and really working on yourself and really diving into this with the support of somebody else.
Speaker 1:It's probably going to scare you doing all of those things, but you have to commit to that, even if it's messy, even if you're like fuck, I don't know if I'm ready for this. Waiting to feel ready is never going to come. We already know this. But we also know that most of us are wired to avoid discomfort. Even the word right, it's like. When you think of like your bed, you're like oh my God, I just can't wait to climb into my comfy bed. No one's like I can't wait to climb into my rock hard bed that doesn't have a fucking pillow and I'm just going to lay there like on a rock or on a brick all night.
Speaker 1:Everybody kind of wants comfort. The problem is that a lot of our comfort in our life is not really serving us and it's keeping us stuck and it's the reason we don't grow, it's the reason we don't evolve, it's the reason we don't achieve what we want to achieve and, quite honestly, it's the reason we feel pretty fucking miserable. Our brains love familiarity because it feels safe. But the catch really is with this is, if you always choose comfort, you're going to stay exactly where you are. Comfort keeps you stuck and courage moves you forward.
Speaker 1:So I want you to ask yourself what would my life look like if I stopped choosing comfort? And maybe, before you even ask that question, you can ask yourself and get really, really honest with yourself when do I choose comfort over just doing the thing? Where do I choose the easy thing over actually getting uncomfortable and doing something that challenges me? It can be big, it can be small, but maybe you can write down specific examples that you know are currently playing out in your life. The next thing you can ask yourself is what's one area where I know I've been holding myself back because it feels easy to stay where I am? So just one area. What is one area in your life currently, as you listen to this finishing up 2024, that you know that you're holding yourself back Because growth isn't meant to feel easy.
Speaker 1:It's supposed to feel expansive, and expansive doesn't always feel good in the moment. It usually feels scary, it usually feels uncertain and sometimes it can even feel overwhelming. If we're choosing something different, it means that we've never done this before, and if we've never done it before, it means we don't know the outcome, and that is very scary for our brain. We would rather a shitty outcome that we know than an unknown outcome. That that is very scary for our brain. We would rather a shitty outcome that we know than an unknown outcome that, possibly, is going to be a whole lot fucking better for us. We would rather keep having the same outcome, even though we hate it, than the possibility of doing something that we have no fucking idea how it's going to turn out. Are we going to lose money? Are people going to dislike us? What is it going to be hard, we don't know. And having those unknown answers in our brain, our brain's like absolutely not, we're not touching that, we're staying comfortable. We don't like that.
Speaker 1:But it's that very voice that is the very thing that is stopping you from achieving what you actually want to achieve, because on the other side of that discomfort is every single thing. You have been craving the life. You have been craving the relationships the way you have been craving the life. You have been craving the relationships, the way you want to feel, the people you surround yourself with, the day-to-day life that you wake up to. So, obviously, all that sounds like mega delicious and, of course, we want everything that we've been craving. Then why do we stay comfortable? If you have ever felt stuck, it is probably because of one or more of these reasons. Obviously, there could be so many more, but we don't have like a bajillion years and I don't want you to have to listen to me harp on for a bajillion years.
Speaker 1:So I'm just going to go over ones that I think are the most common. The first one is fear of failure. Failure feels like proof that you're not good enough. Right? You think if I fail, I've proved to myself that I can't do it. I'm not capable, which means that maybe I'm a shit person and I'm never going to achieve what I want to have in my life. Wrong, completely and utterly fucking wrong. Failure is proof that you're trying. Failure is proof that you are learning. And failure is proof that you're stepping into the unknown, which is fucking brilliant because it means you're creating change in your life. Fear of failure often keeps us from even starting. But let me ask you a question what do you think is scarier? Failing or staying stuck in the same exact place forever? Forever, let that land.
Speaker 1:The second one is fear of judgment. So this one hits pretty fucking hard. What will people think? What if they laugh? What if they criticize me? What if they say who does she think she is? The truth is, people will always have opinions, but their opinions do not define your worth or your ability to succeed. The only opinion that truly, truly matters is yours, is your own. The third thing is self-doubt. Who am I to do this? What if I'm not good enough? Self-doubt is the comfort zone's literal best friend. It keeps you questioning yourself instead of trusting yourself. But here's the shift you don't need to feel 100% confident to take action. Confident comes after you take the step, not before. So stop waiting for that confidence to do the thing.
Speaker 1:Number four the illusion of safety. Comfort feels like security, but is it? Is it security or is it just something familiar? Staying in your comfort zone might feel safe, but it's also a choice to stay the same. Ask yourself is this really where I want to be, even just a year from now, because the hard truth is, comfort zones do not keep you safe. They keep you very fucking small, and recognizing these patterns is the first step to actually being able to let go of them and break free from them.
Speaker 1:Every time that you choose courage, you are rewriting your story, and that's what I see failure is. If I see someone fail, I'm like, wow, you are so fucking courageous for trying. And do you know what I love the most? When I see people have really big failures and then they keep going, they keep going, they keep going, they keep going, and then they succeed. It makes for a fucking incredible story. So when you're failing, be like, wow, this is going to really add to my story. One day I'm going to tell this story and this failure is going to be the very thing that actually makes this story interesting, because you know what's not interesting. I tried something and it worked. The end no one fucking cares. No one fucking cares. Everyone loves the failures because they get to learn from it.
Speaker 1:But it also shows people that failures are not the end of the world. So long as you don't make them the end of the world. You're proving to yourself, when you are courageous, that you are more capable than you thought. And you, you are like, literally. This is the thing that's wrong with most people is that you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for, than you even allow yourself to believe. You are capable of achieving so much more in your lifetime than you are even allowing yourself to think about, which. This is this is what I'm so passionate about. I truly believe that we are all so much more capable than we think, but when we can allow ourselves to think it, we fucking become it and we actually achieve what we're meant to achieve in this lifetime. So courage is how you. It's how you build confidence. Through being a courageous human being, you become a confident human being. It builds momentum in your life because you start putting one foot in front of the other and you realize that you can actually fucking do it, and it's such a cool feeling. And the biggest thing that it builds, which is really fucking important, is resilience. You become a resilient human being.
Speaker 1:Think about the most meaningful moments in your life. Were they comfortable? Probably not, but they mattered because you stepped up. Courage isn't about being fearless. It's about taking action in spite of fear, and every time you do, you expand what's possible for your life, key word being you. You expand it. Your courage expands it.
Speaker 1:So this is another area where we're going to ask some questions, and I want you to be really fucking honest with yourself. What's one bold move that you've been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable? Don't. Whatever comes first to your mind, whatever pops into your head, that's perfect. Roll with it. Get curious about it.
Speaker 1:The second question is what's the cost of staying where you are versus the potential reward of stepping into courage? This question is very important, because what most people do is what if I fail? What if I do this? What if this happens? And it's always negative. We always go to the negative thing that could happen. What if you allowed yourself to think about the amazing positive things that could happen? What if you allowed yourself to think about the life that you could lead if you did the thing and it all worked out? That's the question that I want you guys to be asking, and now we're going to get a little bit more practical. How do you actually embrace courage when your comfort zone feels so fucking tempting, like that comfy pillow bed? So here are some steps for you.
Speaker 1:One start with awareness. As always, we can't do shit all if we don't have awareness. I want you to pay attention to the moments when you're tempted to choose comfort. Is it saying no to an opportunity? Is it avoiding a difficult conversation? Notice the pull towards safety and pause. Number two is break it down. Courage doesn't have to mean a huge leap. Sometimes it's just taking the first step. If you're scared to speak up in a meeting, start by sharing one thought. That's it, one thought. If you're scared to put yourself out there, start by telling one person about your goal, but be mindful of who you're telling. Don't tell someone whose fears are going to take over and make you more scared. Tell someone who's already doing fucking big things, because they are going to encourage you and support you.
Speaker 1:Number three is reframe the discomfort. Discomfort is not a sign that something is wrong. It is a sign that something is changing. Every time you feel discomfort, remind yourself this is me growing and this is me stepping into my potential. This is me growing and this is me stepping into my potential. Four lean into small wins. Don't fucking wait for massive results to celebrate. Every time you choose courage, acknowledge it. Did you send that email that you were scared to say? Did you say no to something that didn't align with your values? Those moments matter. Celebrate them. People bypass this shit so much and I'm like what? Celebrate yourself, because if you're not celebrating, who is who's celebrating you? That's you giving your brain a little bit of a fucking high five. You're like we're doing the thing. The neuroplasticity is kicking in. Go us.
Speaker 1:And the fifth thing is create a courage plan. Write down one area where you've been choosing comfort over growth and then list two to three small, bold actions that you can take even this week to push past that comfort zone and commit to at least one. Courage also is not just about taking action. It's about shifting the way you see discomfort and fear. So here is how you are going to build a mindset that is deeply rooted in courage. First, you are going to stay connected to your why. Why does this actually matter to you? What's the bigger picture here? When you feel resistance, I want you to reconnect with your purpose.
Speaker 1:The next thing that you're going to do is you're going to trust your own fucking resilience. You have survived hard things before. You've been through challenges, heartbreaks and setbacks and you are still standing. You are capable of handling so much more than you think. Please give yourself credit for that. And the other thing is you are going to adopt a growth lens. Instead of asking what if I fail which is very lack and scarcity mindset you're going to ask yourself what will I learn? This is very abundant mindset. Every bold choice, whether it works or whether it doesn't, is going to teach you something valuable, and that is actually how you grow.
Speaker 1:And to finish this up on this very punchy and quick and powerful episode, I'm going to leave you with a few thoughts. Courage is not a one-time thing. It's a way of living. It's the daily choice to show up, to take risks and to trust that you are capable of more. Every small act of courage builds momentum for the next big changes that you actually want to create. So your challenge this week is to identify that one area where you've been choosing comfort over growth and to take that one bold step, even if it feels scary and even if it's imperfect, and let me know how it goes.
Speaker 1:I want to hear from you. Send me a DM, send me a fucking email, I don't care. I want to hear from you. I would love to hear your wins. Next week, we're going to be diving into resilience how to stay strong, grounded and focused when life gets tough, and this is where the real mental strength comes in and it's going to be such an important piece of your 2025 journey. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Mindset Reset for your best year yet. Let's really actually commit to making 2025 the year where courage becomes your default setting. I'll talk to you guys in the next episode.