You’ve heard it before.
“Get out of your comfort zone.”
“The only way to grow is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Here’s the thing, sometimes it’s hard to know when you’re in your comfort zone or how to get out of it.
There are obvious limits to what you’re comfortable with. Chances are that bungee jumping off a bridge would be well outside of your comfort zone. Did you know that something as small as not adding sugar to your coffee every morning could be just as challenging and more impactful on your life?
Getting outside your comfort zone takes a decision to do something you don’t want to do.
Think about that for a minute. Your desire to have some kind of improvement or result has to be strong enough to get you to do something that you know is going to be difficult, Growth and change require deliberate action. They don’t happen by accident.
Are you in your comfort zone?
- Are you seeing progress?
- Do you feel like you’ve tried everything but nothing really changes?
- Are you stuck in a routine that you’ve gotten used to?
- Do you feel like there’s more but you aren’t sure what to do?
These are all signs that you’re stuck in a place that feels like you should be making progress but you aren’t doing enough to make real change happen. This is by definition, your comfort zone.
Getting out of the zone.
- The first thing you should do to get out of your comfort zone is to ask someone for help. Getting an objective point of view will give you ideas and help you see things that you wouldn’t see on your own.
- Identify one or two small, less intimidating or life-adjusting things that you can start right now. Habits are easy to form and the smaller the activity, the more successful you’ll be at building it into your lifestyle.
- Don’t procrastinate. Pick something to change and do it today. Right now, Immediately.
- Tell some friends that you need support. Associate with other people who are also getting out of their comfort zones. Support them in their efforts. The more you can share the process with others, the better your chance of success.
Being comfortable isn’t a bad thing. Living in a place of stagnant potential is depressing. Go make a positive change in your life.
