Everyone has comfort zones, even the boldest and most daring people we know have comfort zones (think: “I love skydiving, but I would never do it over a volcano!”). Our comfort zone is so, well… comfy. Why would we ever need to leave it? Plus, being uncomfortable is so… uncomfortable!
But the truth is, stepping even a smidge out of your comfort zone can change your life for the better.
Think of all the things you wish you were more comfortable doing: speaking in front of a group, attending social events where you don’t know anyone, voicing your opinion in a team meeting, even flying. You will never become comfortable trying new things unless you are willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Your comfort zone is a huge part of who you are, and if you want to grow as a person, your comfort zone needs to grow too. If you never step outside it, you may wind up stuck in the very same place for a very long time. While that may feel comfortable on the surface, it isn\’t very fun and in fact, it can get quite boring and frustrating.
Even worse, it’s quite possible your comfort zone might actually shrink if you don\’t step outside it once in a while. Think of it as a muscle that needs to be worked out frequently to stay flexible and expand. If you never test the boundaries of your comfort zone, things that might be slightly uncomfortable today may grow scarier and even more uncomfortable tomorrow. Before you know it, you might find yourself taking steps backward instead of forward.
You may think you don\’t really care if your comfort zone shrinks. Maybe you are comfortable with your fears. But the reality is, not stepping out of your comfort zone means you are settling. Settling for the way things are right now. Settling for less than you deserve. If you are 100% happy with your life, that’s fine. But how many people really are? If there is even one thing you wish you could be different, be willing to feel the fear and go for it.
Change only happens when you have the courage to move beyond your comfort zone. Give yourself a pep talk. You are too good to settle for the status quo!
If you want to grow as a person and create a better life, find the courage to step out of your comfort zone. Take steps to conquer your fears and stretch your comfort muscle today.
This month we will offer you some practical dos and don’ts on expanding comfort zones; tips and ideas for you to use in growing your confidence, self-awareness, and mindset or to help your clients grow theirs.
Tip # 1: Understand your mindset. Mental conditioning plays a big role in developing your comfort zone. Based on past experiences and what we’ve been conditioned to believe, we create mental guidelines as to what we are willing to tolerate or not tolerate, what is comfortable or uncomfortable. These guidelines help form the boundaries of our comfort zone.
Understanding where your boundaries come from is the first step in being able to expand them.
More on boundaries next week…………
