Pushing yourself beyond what you find comfortable is a good habit to get into. Shah Marai/AFP
Pushing yourself beyond what you find comfortable is a good habit to get into. Shah Marai/AFP
Pushing yourself beyond what you find comfortable is a good habit to get into. Shah Marai/AFP
Pushing yourself beyond what you find comfortable is a good habit to get into. Shah Marai/AFP

Step out of your comfort zone: it's the best thing for your business


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The moment you decide to become an entrepreneur you should realise that certainty goes out of the window. You no longer can predict how your weeks and months to come will pan out for you. That’s what the package contains and there’s no way out of it.

Let me give you an example: at one point in my business, I was completely broke, and at another months passed by without proper income because of the tough economic situation, and then came the time when my arms ached all night because of the number of emails I had to type, replying to all interested potential clients.

This is how crazy my entrepreneurial journey has been, but I would never trade it for certainty. Certainty equates boredom for me, and nothing gives me an adrenaline kick more than entrepreneurship.

The bottom line is that in this journey, you can’t really guarantee anything, except that you will be placed outside your comfort zone more than you’d like.

The good thing is that at least you have one thing guaranteed: you will often be faced with this situation. And the best way to handle it gracefully, is to prepare for it.

Yes, that’s right!

Practicing to be outside your comfort zone, is something you can learn. Let me share my experience with you:

Do something new that's outside your comfort zone

I love traveling but I am an absolute chicken on a plane. The slightest bump in the flight sends my brain in hyper-drive imagining the worse possible scenarios. I hate the way I feel because I’m always calm and collected, and I don’t like that side of me that exposes itself on the plane. So, what did my friend suggest? That I should do it more often, to deliberately fly in winter when the plane is bound to shake and move, and to listen to podcasts by ex-pilots who explain the dynamics of the plane and its engine. And so, I did.

It wasn’t easy at first, but it got better with time. I decided to apply that to my daily life. For instance, I got on roller-coaster rides which absolutely terrify me, slept in a resort that had lizards roaming around freely -- and you guessed it right -- those tiny shy creatures terrified me and I travelled to new destinations that I wouldn’t have chosen prior to that.

I also went through a 100 days of life experiment where I tried new things every single day of that period, and that has altered me completely. It broadened my perspective, made me more appreciative of the smallest things, and simply made me a happier, more collected person.

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Read more:

Success: let things take their own sweet time 

Important tips for putting sales ahead of marketing strategy

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Assume different roles in your business

The more you are aware of the different parts of your business, the better prepared and more understanding you become when an unexpected crisis hit that particular part of the entity. In my media company, for instance, I look after the marketing and business development sides, but from time to time I deliberately juggle other tasks to understand them more fully. Lately, I’ve been working a lot with the creative team, specifically, with videographers, and what are the best shots to choose in order to keep viewers glued on social media platforms. I’ve also been executing photo shoots around cultural topics, and I discovered that I enjoy that process very much; something that I see myself doing more of in the long run.

Focus on the good

Last but not least, as terrible as your situation may be, remember all the good stuff that are still going right for you. It may sound a bit cliché but it’s true. These are the kind of things that keep us going. My comfort zone, my happy place, is my home. I love the fact that I can always guarantee comfort and peace there no matter how hard my day may be. I love that my family is supportive, caring, and their love pulls me through any dark day. Focus on “good things” and always, always keep in mind that no matter how hard a thing may seem, it is only temporary. It too shall pass, and you will have another day, to face something different, and that will be all right as well.

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer who manages her branding and marketing consultancy in Abu Dhabi

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Titanium Escrow profile

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family

Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.