As humans I think we all mistakenly find a comfort zone and stay within this zone. And even when we wish to branch out and explore different avenues, we can’t always bring ourselves to take the first step.

But if you ever want to grow as a freelancer, telecommuter or home based business owner, you’ve got to find ways to step outside your comfort circle. This might involve taking a few risks, and you might fall flat on your face. But if you never take that first step or big leap, you’ll never know your potential.

• Give yourself a raise: I know what it’s like to have a loyal long-term client, and I remember my first online writing opportunity six or seven years ago. The pay wasn’t great, but I enjoyed working with this particular client. And as a result, I held onto her for two years–even when bigger and better opportunities came my way. I had to take a step back and access the situation…and I realized the opportunity wasn’t financial beneficial anymore.

• Remove “someday” from your vocabulary: I’m famous for this. Someday I’ll be a regular contributor for a major magazine. Someday I’ll get my children’s book publish. Someday…well, you get the idea. Now, I give myself definite dates. Next week I’ll query five markets. Today I’ll research publishers and different markets, and so forth.

• Don’t be afraid of new opportunities: Thinking back I’ve turned down a few opportunities because they didn’t fit into my comfortable little bubble. I hate telephone interviews and one freelance opportunity required two or three interviews a month. I stupidly turned down the job because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of playing phone tag with interview subjects or enduring any awkward moments….I know silly.