Get comfortable going out of your comfort zone
Almost everybody has heart it - the idea of knowing our comfort zone and regularly challenging ourselves to move out of it, one step at a time. Why is it then, that so many of us avoid doing it and would even rather be unhappy in the current state than trying something new that will lead to development, growth and fulfilment?
Fear is the biggest factor why people don’t get out of their comfort zone, more specifically, fear of change. The unknown is what scares us and we feel a lot more comfortable and secure in environments we know and are familiar with. Also, the longer we stay in a comfortable and well known environment , the harder it becomes to leave it and discover something new.
However, moving out of our comfort zone is not only about discovering something new. It is about challenging ourselves. The comfort zone is describing an environment, in which there are no unknowns, no changes, nothing that challenges us or causes any form of pressure or anxiety. The tricky thing is also, most people enjoy being in their comfort zone and often don’t see any reason for change or development.
In contrast, moving out of our comfort zone means we are getting into the unknown, become challenged and have to deal with situations or environments we are not always familiar with. It is therefore a step into the unknown that is not always enjoyable.
In my personal opinion thought, besides not being always enjoyable and easy, moving out of our comfort zone is absolutely necessary, to keep on being challenged and not go into boredom. Humans are made to be challenged, solve problems that occur, which is absolutely essential for them to develop and grow. Whether it is in our professional or personal life, leaving our comfort zone regularly is the only way for us to grow and develop. In the UK we say the old sentence “No pain no gain”, which is exactly what this means. In order to get the reward of development, fulfilment and ultimately happiness, we have to have the courage to leave our zone of comfort, things that we know and are familiar to us. Only then, will we be able to thrive and prosper.
However, making too big of steps out of our comfort zone, can overwhelm and frustrate us pretty quickly. It is important that we take baby steps and not want too much change at a time. Small steps will prevent us from experiencing frustration and failure pretty quickly. We have to remember leaving our comfort zone is not easy and takes time, but it is so worth it.
In conclusion, people often shy away from leaving the known and taking the risk of discovering something new and often slightly uncomfortable at first. However, leaving the comfort zone is a personal decision and will lead to development, fulfilment and happiness.
