0
0
0
0
I completely get it. It is way easier and frankly more comfortable to remain in your comfort zone.
That’s why it’s called a comfort zone.
But when life gives you opportunities that you want to pursue, it can be hard, but you must step up to the challenge and get out of your comfort zone.
When I took a job doing door-to-door sales, it was a challenge.
I had to step out of my comfort zone daily in order to interact with people at their door.
Believe me, I would have loved to sit home and work an independent job by myself, or settle for a job serving tables, but that’s not where the opportunity was.
I followed the opportunity and challenged myself to overcome my fears. I got out of the comfort zone that I was used to.
Consequently, I became a stronger, more independent, and less fearful person because of it. Never did my comfort zone hold me back anymore and with practice I made myself look at challenges as opportunities.
Are you used to remaining in your comfort zone?
Are there challenges that you need to overcome to make sure you bring your best self forward?
Break down your barriers
A comfort zone is just a place where you feel safe, doing daily habits that feel comfortable to do. People have evolved to remain in places where it seems safe to survive. Venturing out of that zone will be taking a risk.
While some risks are good to take, others can be detrimental. A lot of us have fears of taking risks because we think that we will fall into a hole we can’t get out of.
Risk-aversion is part of anyone’s natural instinct which is why it is not easy to exit that zone where you feel most comfortable.
While you don’t have to challenge yourself every day like I did, there are some benefits of getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks.
Benefits of Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
When you challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone, you are guarenteed to feel some type of good feeling of accomplishment. The feeling of accomplishment and productiveness will allow you to feel like you are improving yourself as a person.
Overcoming this fear and doing something different than the norm will help you feel more fulfilled in life.
Especially when your bravery results in meeting new people, challenging your self, trying new foods or places, and so much more joy can be accomplished by just leaving your comfort zone.
So how do you get out of your comfort zone this week?
Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Take Small Steps
Start small and take baby steps. If you are trying to be more comfortable with speaking in front of people, start by striking up a conversation at a gas station in line or complimenting someone.
These small steps get your mind focused on overcoming your fears in small ways so you can feel more confident taking on bigger fears.
Keep the Momentum
Practice makes perfect. It’s important to practice getting out of your comfort zone frequently. The more you stay in your safe zone, the more you will convince yourself that you should just stay there.
For example, someone I know has worked as a bookkeeper for about 20 years. The thought of running her own business would give her anxiety so much that she would rather just stay being a bookkeeper. She has no desire to get out of her comfort zone.
Practicing change will help you become used to change.
Look for Opportunities
Look for opportunities to get out of your comfort zone. Opportunities are not going to come on their own. You must actively seek opportunities to challenge your fears.
Do you have a few spare minutes with your boss? Ask for that raise. Pass by that store you would love to work at? Stop in and fill out an application.
Have Faith
Part of it is run on faith. You must have faith that what you decide to do is for the better, that you will not die if you jump out of your comfort zone and do something different for a change.
It doesn’t take a lot of faith to do what you’ve been doing. It takes a lot of faith to do something challenging. Have faith that you will survive and even learn something new from the experience.
Get Some Advice
Who better knows how to get out of your comfort zone than someone who has done it before. Look for people who have taken on the same type of challenges that you are trying to accomplish and get some advice.
You can ask them how they felt overcoming their fears and getting out of their comfort zone.
How did they face their challenges?
How did they propel themselves forward and not be held back by what they feel is comfortable?
Getting another perspective could be just the thing you need to say “let me give it a try” and take that leap.
Be Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
Look for ways to be uncomfortable and make it second nature. You must become comfortable with having that uncomfortable feeling, that slight fear, that reservation before you do something new.
If you are comfortable with that uncomfortable feeling, you will find it is a lot easier to do something new. You won’t have anything stopping you. Just go for it.
Find the Right Environment
So many times we would love to step out of our comfort zone and try something new, but our environment keeps us stuck in that comfort zone.
In order to become something you’ve never been, you must do what you have never done.
Find an environment that would be conducive to change.
- Hang out with friends that push you to try new things and encourage you to face fears.
- Go out to eat alone and try to meet new people.
- Join a community of people that will support you and encourage you.
Show Confidence
A huge part of getting out of your comfort zone is getting over fear. Fear of failure, fear of what other people think, fear of how you will be perceived all need to be overcome.
When you are worried that people will see your weakness, you are more weak. You take less risks, you play it safe.
It’s important to feel confident in the actions you take and most of all in your abilities. Show confidence in what you can do by putting it into action.
Find out how to gain more confidence.
Remember it only takes 15 seconds of courage to get over your fears.
Put one of these methods to get out of your comfort zone today and see the change it makes in your life.
