Is your comfort zone preventing you from growing?
No one likes to admit it, but change scares us. We stick with what we’re comfortable with because it’s familiar and guaranteed. Stepping outside our comfort zone into unknown territory is scary and uncertain. But is this preventing you from becoming who you want to be?
Why is this? What makes us so fearful of uncharted territory? And why are some people better at stepping out of their comfort zone then others? Read on, to see why expanding your comfort zone is always a good thing.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone ~ Neale Donald Walsch
We have comfort zones for a reason, because the feeling of comfort is a nice, familiar feeling. But when we challenge our comfort zones we get uncertainty. And uncertainty breeds fear and discomfort. So it’s understandable that we don’t risk the feelings of discomfort by stepping outside familiarity. By staying within the realms of familiarity we guarantee our comfort.Have you ever sacrificed your happiness because of the unknown? You may think it’d be ridiculous to do so, but the reality is most people do it all the time. You can be completely unhappy with an area of your life and never try to change, why? Because you get comfortable with your unhappiness. You think to yourself “Yes I’m unhappy, but what if I change and it’s worse?”We stick with what we know, even if what we know isn’t making us happy (job, relationship). Why is this? If we’re unhappy then there is no risk, right? Why should you continue to torture yourself when you know you can be happy? Happiness is always worth the risk.Without pushing the boundaries of comfort you’ll never expand your reality. Because the discomfort that comes with pushing the boundaries of your comfort are only temporary. It’s okay to be scared, remind yourself that. Just don’t let that fear of the unknown dictate your happiness!!
The best way to expand your comfort zone is to push your boundaries. With this comes fear, but remind yourself that it’s okay to be scared, in fact being scared is a good sign. It means you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. And when you push these boundaries you find comfort in what was once uncomfortable/feared.By pushing boundaries you leave yourself with no choice, you’re forced to grow and adapt. Don’t underestimate yourself. Human beings are stronger and more resilient than you think. Those who achieve greatness aren’t any less scared or more prepared than you are. The difference is they’ve identified the value in expanding their boundaries.Let me show you using myself as an example. For a long time I lacked confidence. I never went after the things I wanted because I had no confidence to do so. And I hated it. I wanted to be more confident. So when I met a friend who was, I studied him. He had the confidence to do anything he set his mind to. Whether it was going for a better job, public speaking in front of hundreds of people, or speaking to someone of the opposite sex.One day I asked him about it, and he told me he used to lack confidence too. But he knew he was missing out. So he decided to take a new approach, ‘act the way a confident person would’. It didn’t mean he wasn’t uncomfortable. But every time he did something that was uncomfortable he became less afraid, and more comfortable.
He taught me the more you engage in what makes you uncomfortable, the more you expand your comfort zone. By expanding my boundaries I discovered a whole new world of opportunities.
Comfort through exposure
It’s no use doing what you fear once and never re-applying it. So expand your boundaries repeatedly. The more consistently you push these boundaries the more comfortable you’ll become.
Regular exposure to something helps your mind accept that it’s not to be feared. This is why some people are better at stepping outside of their comfort zone than others. Repeated exposure has broken through the barriers of fear in their mind.
Let’s look at public speaking as an example. Like most people I was terrified of public speaking. But I wanted to improve. So remembering what my friend had told me I attempted it. After a few attempts I realised it wasn’t so daunting. The more I did it, the better I became. Soon what I once feared I was completely comfortable with. Now it’s part of my job and I enjoy it.
“We have a normal. As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal” ~ Robin S. Sharma
Take baby steps
It’s amazing how quickly something can move from uncomfortable to normal just with a little exposure. Not every step out of your comfort zone needs to be a gigantic one.
If it helps take small steps at a time. If you’re scared of heights or public speaking I wouldn’t recommend jumping out of a plane or giving a speech in front of an audience of 10’ 000 people. Let the little things lead to bigger things.
Starting small doesn’t mean excluding your larger problems. Starting with too much too fast is often where people fail. These things we classify as too difficult are often not that difficult at all, the more likely scenario is we become overwhelmed by taking on too much too quickly.
- Your comfort zone is reliable and the unknown is scary.
- Being scared is a good thing,it means you’re stepping outside and expanding your comfort zone.
- When you push the boundaries of your comfort zone you’re forced to grow and adapt.
- Start with small changes, and repeat.
- The more you do something, the more comfortable you’ll feel.
Comments are closed.