How To Grow Beyond Your Comfort Zone-Fantastic 5 For Friday-Issue 13
February 15th, 2008 | by Jeniffer |Your comfort zone is exactly what it sounds like it is–it is the zone, or area, in your life where you feel comfortable.
It is self imposed, self defined, and can be broken only through self effort.
Having said that, it should be mentioned that not everyone wants to move beyond this safe haven that encompasses their lives.
That is because, while living within your comfort zone, you experience no sense of risk. There is no anxiety, no question of whether or not you can learn to do something, or if you are able to accomplish some great dream you may harbor for your life.
In terms of your personal growth, it is the area many people are in now, where their life is ok, their home is fine, everything is–well–comfortable.
The danger in remaining in this zone, is that it stifles growth. You cannot grow or stretch yourself, without moving away from this zone.
“If you remain in your comfort zone you will not go any further.”–Catherine Pulsifier
The problem with that is that moving beyond that zone, stepping outside of what it is we normally do, makes us feel anxious. The moment you begin doing something that is unusual for you, you may experience the pain of awkwardness and uncertainty, the feeling of strangeness brought on by doing something you have not done before.
This is normal.
You must realize that if you do not occasionally push yourself to try something new, you may find yourself in a rut.
As well, in order to accomplish your goals and live your dreams, risk becomes necessary at some point.
Preferring the security of the comfort zone, we may retreat from doing things which make us feel uncomfortable, reinforcing our comfort zone and stifling our own growth.
Stepping outside of this zone is uncomfortable. It can cause nervousness, tension, anxiety.
Why, then would you want to step outside of it?
“We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.”–Max DePree
Your comfort zone is an incredibly flexible thing.
Where you are comfortable living right now may be a tight little circle around the things, people, and events in your life.
Try something new–say, learning how to drive, ski, rock climb, or operate a snowmobile–and that comfort zone expands, encompassing the new thing you have tried.
It is now added to your comfort zone.
Once you have stretched beyond your current comfort zone, it will never go back to what it is now. It has expanded forever.
When something feels initially less than comfortable, you may be inclined not to do it.
If it is a life-threatening activity, it may be wise to listen to that voice inside that tells you you shouldn’t, you couldn’t do what you have in mind.
On the other hand, if it is just a new experience you have been wanting to give a try, and you know you will not harm yourself or others in trying it, it may be time to expand that zone of comfort where you have been living. In order for positive change to occur in any area of your life–physical, emotional, spiritual or intellectual, you must step out and take a risk.
You could write a book, make new friends, begin working out, begin a diet. You could start a blog.
All involve a certain amount of risk; all will have an affect on your comfort zone.
The more things you try in this manner, the more confident you will become.
Here are five fantastic ways that you can do this:
1) Do little things differently.
It doesn’t matter how small a thing–take the stairs instead of the elevator, shop at a different grocery store, go to a different mall or plaza. Even walking a different route than you usually do, will begin to affect your comfort zone.
Just do something a little bit different, and get used to that slight feeling of anxiety you may experience.
2) Up the ante.
Now, try something a little more daring. Not scarey, just a bit daring.
Perhaps you could try driving a different route home from work, or taking a different kind of car for a test drive than the one you would normally drive. You could go to a restaurant and order something you have never ordered before, or go to an entirely different kind of restaurant, and try out something completely new.
After getting comfortable with that:
3) Network.
Work to meet new people, ones outside of the crowd you usually hang around with.
Most folks have difficulty approaching someone for the first time, so even while you may quiver and shake at the thought of doing so, rest assured that the person you approach very likely feels the same way.
Caution: There is a difference between approaching in a friendly manner and inviting conversation or coffee, and stalking someone. If they seem uninterested, move on.
4) Take lessons.
Dance, art, music; just be sure it is something that you think you would be interested in learning, but have not learned to do before.
Why not try learning a foreign language, with the hopes of someday going to the country where they speak it?
5) Join Toastmasters International.
Through Toastmasters, you will gradually become comfortable speaking in front of an audience.
They are supportive and encouraging, providing an opportunity for personal growth that may well help you in other areas of your life.
Those are five ideas to get you started. You may well come up with ideas of your own. Although I am no expert, these are ideas which have worked for me, and that I have seen work in the lives of others. Try them, and see if they will work for you.
Why would you want to do this, you ask?
I think William James gave us a good reason to seek to be more than we are:
“Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are dampened, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. The human individual thus lives usually far within his limits; he possesses power of various sorts which he habitually fails to use. He energizes below his maximum, and he behaves below his optimum.”–William James
Wouldn’t you love to live your life without the limits which you have imposed on yourself, and have dampened your own growth?
Wouldn’t you love to see just what it is you are capable of achieving, if you would only just try?
Step out of comfort.
You may amaze yourself at the results.
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