People talk about stepping outside their comfort zone like it’s stepping into the Twilight Zone, a mysterious place no one dares to voyage to on their own.
The problem with this thinking is that it keeps us safe and that’s not always a good thing. Being comforted is fine, feeling comfortable is needed but allowing complacency is a big no-no. Although comfort brings with it, a sense of familiarity and calm, it can also prevent us from being curious, something we are naturally born to be. That means, curious about what is, curious about what was and ultimately curious about what’s next.
We are all masters of our comfort zone’s so it should be no surprise that we (meaning you, me and the world) resists being curious and stepping outside of it like the plague. Take this famous quote:
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”
It sounds powerful, maybe promising and filled with potential, right? Not entirely, and here’s why. After twenty years of working with people from all over the world and all walks of life,I realized this:
- It’s not always that people don’t want to step outside their comfort zones, it’s that they don’t know where it ends and it’s the fear of not knowing where it is, what it looks like and how to get there that keeps many people complacent.
Think of it like this: People approach finding the “end” of their zone like walking out into a swimming pool or ocean, only to slowly start shuffling their feet or tip-toeing outward not sure of when that exact moment will be where they slip and feel that cliff or edge and lose balance. That fear keeps people safe.
Technology has made great advancements in our world and the answers are now within seconds away from us but with such bombardment of technology, we are simply no longer thinking critically and as a result we have gotten lazy and our curiosity quotient has dropped significantly.
So much is missed and so much of life is missed out on by not raising your hand, your voice or your platform. It doesn’t have to be this way. Finding what peaks your curiosity is the first part. Here are 7 benefits to stepping outside your comfort zone:
- Opportunity to grow: Challenging yourself can help you reach your peak performance level. You can’t expect to evolve and reach new heights if you only stick to your normal habits and routine lifestyle. Learning new skills and lessons will help you throughout your life.
- Learn about yourself: Taking risks will help you grow as an individual and will teach you about your interests, passions, talents, strengths and weaknesses. Every time you accomplish something you didn’t think you were capable of, you become more confident, knowledgeable and skilled.
- Expanding yourself and your creativity: When you try something new, you may find a new hobby or talent that you didn’t know that you had. New and challenging situations require you to find your own creativity in order to reach a solution.
- Increase your self-confidence: Tackling the unknown and proving to yourself you can push past your boundaries and limiting self-beliefs builds your self-confidence and self-esteem. Insecurity loves to feed on your habit of not trying. If you stop thinking and start acting, you will realize what’s possible.
- Learn to deal with challenges: Life is unpredictable and it’s important to have the skills and confidence to face them head on. Knowing that you were able to overcome something you thought was insurmountable will build your confidence and reinforce your independence of who you are. c
- Life becomes lively: When your life stops being a scene from the movie Groundhog Day, everything shows up different. Life becomes more interesting and worth living. Risks may look like adventures and obstacles could look like opportunities. When you are happier on the inside, your appreciation for what’s around you increase. Surprise yourself daily.
- Build new relationships: Trying something new helps you to meet all sorts of new people you may not have met otherwise staying in your comfort zone. In order to have good relationships with others, you must have a good relationship with yourself. If you are not happy with who you are or what you do, it will be challenging to value the good qualities of the people around you. Stepping out of your comfort zone, discovering who you are and overcoming yours fears will ultimately result in better relationships with others. Drama decreases as your confidence and life’s perspective increases.
Final thoughts: Only when we you are willing to become comfortable with being uncomfortable can change and growth really take place. Good things don’t happen to us because we want them to; they happen to us when we take action and are willing to step out of our comfort zones.
The floor is yours: Name one thingOUTSIDE your comfort zone but INSIDE someone else’s?
Please leave your comment below as your insights are greatly appreciated and a learning opportunity for everyone reading this article.
With leadership,
Joshua / www.JoshHMiller.com
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