The comfort zone….we all have one. It’s a nice cosy place to be. You know how things are, what to expect, how things will turn out etc. It’s safe, warm and predictable.
But is it your happy place? For some people the comfort zone is their happy place. They are content with how their lives are and really don’t want anything to change, and that is perfectly fine. But for those of you who are not content with the life you have, those who want more from life, those of you who want things to change , then you need to get out of your comfort zone.
I know that is easier said than done. I still struggle with this at times. It’s easy to just plod along doing the same things, working in the same job, living the same life day in day out. It’s predictable, safe and easy. But if you really look deep into yourself you know it’s not enough and you want more. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are completely unhappy or ungrateful for what you have, it just means you know that there is more out there for you.
Staying in your comfort zone is not going to write that book for you, start that business, get you fit or help you learn a new skill.
Getting out of your comfort zone is scary, uncomfortable and uncertain but it should also feel exciting and exhilarating. In saying that it doesn’t necessarily mean you should do something that scares you just for the sake of it. If it truly doesn’t feel right deep down in your gut then it’s not for you. But if it scares the hell out of you but feels amazing at the same time then go for it.
So how do you get out of your comfort zone? Here’s a few tips:
- A good place to start is to write down what it is that you really want in life. What do you really want to do? What are you passionate about? What are you making excuses for not being able to do? What is it that you want to change about yourself?
- Start with small steps. As the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. You don’t need to take a giant leap straight away. You can start small. If you’ve always wanted to write a book but don’t know where to start- just write a bit each day about anything that comes to mind. If you have a skill or hobby that you want to turn into a business but are afraid to take the leap, practice your skill on family and friends first until you feel more at ease. If you want to learn a new skill take the step to join a class, and then turn up!
- Change your mindset. Your mindset is one of the biggest hurdles that can keep you in your comfort zone. You need to turn those negative thoughts around to positive ones. Change “I don’t know if I can do this” to ‘I can do this”, “What if this goes wrong?” to “What if this goes right”, “I don’t know how” to “ I will learn how”, “I’m afraid to do this” to “I’m excited to do this”, “I don’t have time” to “I will make time”.
- Know that it’s ok to fail. You aren’t always going to get it right and that is ok. As long as you learn and grow from the experience, it’s not really a failure at all.
- Just do it! No one is going to do it for you and you’ll thank yourself later.
At the end of the day if you’re not truly happy in your comfort zone then you need to take steps to get out of it. You don’t want to end up at the end of your life wishing that you had done more, that you had taken more chances and look back with regret.