The comfort zone is the level at which you function with ease and familiarity. It is a level where there is sluggish growth or none at all. Your comfort zone will be different from someone else’s and also will keep changing depending on where you are at in your life.
Although it feels good being in that comfort zone, you must get out of it to make progress and enjoy life. Getting out of your comfort zone will be an uncomfortable experience, but one that is worth it because it will make you a better person and help you to achieve your dreams and goals.
Sure Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Now
Learn something new
Every day is another opportunity to learn something. Knowledge is power. You can learn new things as your day progresses by paying more attention to what people say, do, how they do it, and why they do the things they do. Ask questions, do research and observe what is happening around you.
In addition to that, learn a new thing that aligns with your goals. Write down your passions, vision, and plans to know which free or paid course will propel you from where you are to where you want to go. You can also learn a lot without taking any classes.
The most important thing is knowing what you want, and you can find this in articles, blogs, magazines, etc. When you get to where you want to be, do not settle there. Continue learning to continue growing, making progress, and enjoying life. Learning should never end.
Practice what you have learned. That way, you will not forget it, and also the good results will be evidence of progress that will motivate you to continue learning and applying the lessons learned. If possible, apply the lesson the very day you learn it to avoid procrastination.
Photo by Bewakoof.com Official on UnsplashMake new friends
When you are younger, you have many friends. As you grow older, you somehow begin to lose touch with these friends to the point that you can count your real friends using your fingers. I am not referring to social media friends here, though there is nothing wrong with making friends on the internet.
Making new friends may be uncomfortable but will expose you to new points of view and different experiences that can contribute to getting out of your comfort zone. I understand that some people find it challenging to open up and be vulnerable with a stranger.
If that is you, begin looking within the circles you are already in, like school, church, work, business associates, etc. Be open to making friends, and the process will happen naturally. Most importantly, be authentic.
You do not have to share anything private until you are comfortable. Learn the good things from these friends and also pick lessons on what to avoid. Be a blessing to them and invest in the friendship as well.
Photo by Keith Johnston on UnsplashChase your dreams, one goal at a time
In your comfort zone, there is no determination or motivation. You are okay with the situation as it is. Every person has gifts and abilities to make a positive impact. You have the potential to achieve so much for yourself and your world, but in your comfort zone, you can’t live to your full potential.
To get out of your comfort zone, begin to chase your dreams. Have several goals to achieve that will move you towards your vision one goal at a time. It will take you putting in the work every day, so you may want to use to-do lists so that you make tangible daily, weekly and monthly progress out of your comfort zone to a place of outstanding achievement.
Remember to give yourself time to grow when you feel like making progress is too hard and you realize that you are not ticking off everything on your to-do list the way you want to. Keep pushing, taking baby steps—one at a time—and you will eventually become successful.
Tell the truth
Some people are too comfortable with telling lies so much that telling the truth feels strange. They are in a comfort zone of telling lies. When you tell lies, you put yourself in some form of bondage because you have to keep up with all the lies. You will need to remember what you last said so that your lies are not uncovered. My, that is a lot of work! The truth sets you free, and you do not need to keep track of what you say because the fact will be the same.
If you are in that comfort zone of telling lies, try telling the truth for a change. It will not be easy at first, but you will feel better about yourself, less stressed, and more focused on essential things. Practice telling the truth every day for it to become a habit and for you to get out of that comfort zone.
Telling the truth will increase your credibility and make the people close to you happier because they will begin to trust you, and trust can boost your relationships and businesses. You will even be more accountable for your actions instead of covering them up with lies.
Forgive both yourself and others
Past painful experiences may force you into a comfort zone. When you get angry and disappointed with yourself for failing at previous projects, you may find yourself in a comfort zone of not trying new things.
Feeling disappointed by your teammates, boss, and the economy can push you to the point where you are unwilling to take any more risks because you imagine that the next experience will be like the previous one and so why bother? Feeling this way is expected but will do you no good.
To get out of this kind of comfort zone, where you only play it safe, work at forgiving yourself and others. Listen to motivational teachings to help ease your pain so that you can forgive and move on. You can also pray for God to help you forgive yourself and others.
I understand that this is easier said, but forgiveness is for you more than it is for the other person. When you forgive you are set free to move on to achieve more incredible things. The other person may not even know that they made you angry, yet you give them so much power over you.
Experiences of failure and disappointment will make you wiser if you are willing to learn from the lessons. This knowledge will benefit you and others in your next project and in life.
It would be best if you gathered all the strength you can find and get out of your comfort zone because as you move, you will find true healing, achieve your goals, and help others avoid the same mistakes.
Photo by Julian Santa Ana on UnsplashOvercome things that crash you
Life is beautiful, but it has some painful crashing experiences, just like how the beautiful Rose flowers have thorns. Many different things can make you feel crushed, like getting divorced, being embarrassed during an important presentation, or even being turned down by the person you love and hoped to marry.
It could also be other things in your marriage, unrealistic expectations, things at school, in business, at work, with your children, or even what is happening to your loved ones that are crashing your spirit.
Some people are so used to pain that they have become comfortable with it. They doubt any compliment that they receive because they believe that they are ugly, non-performers, failures, worthless, and all the negativity they have gotten accustomed to hearing and believing.
If that is you, begin to analyze your life and look out for these negative tendencies resulting from things that have crashed you so often that you now feel immune to what hurts you—kind of like is a sweet pain. Decide today that you will move past those crushing things and get out of this sweet-pain comfort zone.
Pick the lessons learned and bravely face life again. There is no guarantee that the crashing experiences will not happen again, but when they do, you will handle it better and not allow them to derail you from achieving your goals and visions.
Related article: 8 Sure Ways to Conquer the Barriers to Your Progress
Conclusion
To make progress in life and even enjoy life to the fullest, you will need to get out of your comfort zone. This may not be easy. You may experience fear, or you may feel like you are not ready. That is normal.
Take small tiny steps and embark on new projects that will positively challenge you without making you super stressed. Even though you are challenging yourself to move to a higher level, you do not have to take on more than you can accomplish because this will only demoralize you.
The important thing is not to get too comfortable at one level for years and years with no growth. At the same time, do not give up because good things usually do not come so easily.
Begin doing one of the following and keep building on as you make progress to completely get out of your comfort zone and achieve significant and beautiful things:
- Learn something new
- Make new friends
- Chase your dreams, one goal at a time
- Tell the truth
- Forgive yourself and others
- Overcome things that crash you
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