Your comfort zone is your safe haven from the crazy outside world. You’d be insane to leave that, right? Wrong. While being in our comfort zone is important, it won’t necessarily lead you anywhere but right there in the same place you’ve always been; safe, but not really going anywhere. And while that may be fine with some people, others believe they owe it to themselves to break through the glass ceiling and find their true potential.
Taking that scary step into the unknown may be the single best thing you do for yourself. Research has shown that seeking new experiences and learning new skills can ultimately open new doors and present you with wonderful opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise stumbled upon. Trying something new can thwart burnout and it’s actually good for your brain.
You must believe in yourself, trust your abilities and be willing to take a few risks in order to achieve the dreams you’ve got planned for yourself.
You’ll quickly discover that what was once frightening and unimaginable has now become your new norm, and you’ve acquired new a new set of dreams that you aren’t afraid to go after, risks included. Life is a journey with numerous lessons, ups, and downs along the way.
It’s how you respond to these ups and downs that are a measure of your character and inner strength. Ideal situations do not test your resilience. When the tides are against you, that’s when you must have an inherent strong desire to prevail, motivation and a strong sense of self.
Here are some lessons you will gain once you step outside of your comfort zone.
1. You’ll learn new things.
Learning is a continuous process, no matter how old you are or how many degrees you have. It’s essential in order to get the most out of life. Be curious and ask questions. You’ll gain knowledge and experience, as well as expand your potential and grow as a person, no matter what your profession is. And you’ll push your limits further, enabling you to become better and stronger than before. That is true freedom.
2. You’ll boost your self-confidence.
Once you try going outside your comfort zone, you’ll discover that things aren’t really as scary as you had pictured it would be. Our fearful imagination certainly gets the better of us and holds us back. It bores into our minds how scary the world is and reminds us of all the bad things that can happen. Yet it’s exactly this venturing into the unknown that builds you up to be the strong, brave version of yourself you’ve always pictured but never dared act on.
Overcoming that fear builds confidence and pride. You may not succeed the first time or every time, but you will persevere. And that’s the mark of a truly courageous, unbeatable human being. But courage is like a muscle, you need to train it constantly by experiencing new things and meeting new people, and you’ll never do that unless you push yourself to try the things you’re afraid of.
3. You’ll meet new people.
Meeting new people can be awkward, certainly uncomfortable. You get so wrapped up in work and life that you don’t feel the need to put in the effort of adding stressful moments, like introducing yourself to someone, into your life. So, you stick with your close group of friends and family members and that’s that. But meeting someone for the first time doesn’t have to be all that stressful.
We put so much pressure on that one moment that we forget all the possibilities that lie ahead, and what it could mean to add a fresh face into your social or professional circle. New people can open up opportunities and possibilities, even if you don’t become best friends; you’ll have had a chance to see things from a new perspective.
Trying to avoid any opportunity for growth will make you feel stuck and mediocre, and you shouldn’t settle for anything less than what you truly deserve.
4. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will become easier. This benefit may sound like common sense, yet it’s often overlooked. When you make a practice of pushing your boundaries, going outside of your comfort zone it gets easier over time. It will become a new habit. Good habits make you stronger. You’ll become accustomed to facing your fears and taking risks.
5. You’ll become unstoppable.
You’ll hit many bumps on the road of life, but each time you find your inner strengths to figure out a way to resolve it, you’ll become stronger and wiser. These are the situations that shape your character.
And as you continually get out of your comfort zone you grow, you become more determined, a force to be reckoned with on your journey to fulfilling your dreams. And as you move from one teachable moment to the next, new possibilities will present themselves to you that you didn’t have a clue existed. You’ll feel encouraged to live life to the fullest without anything holding you back.
A final note
Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a skill set that you can develop a little bit at a time. You can start with those small changes that don’t require “losing your shirt”. These small risks over time can help you develop the new muscle. You can face your fears gradually and gain power over it day by day. Going outside your comfort zone can be terrifying. Whether you choose to go big or go small is entirely up to you. And guess what. You get the same benefits either way. The most important takeaway here is to do something. Courage is courage. It doesn’t matter how you get there. What matters is that you get there. Don’t compare your “getting out of your comfort zone” journey with anyone else.
However, you decide to venture out, keep this in mind: Fear is mostly a manifestation of what we tell ourselves and we have the power to harness it. Put fear in its proper place so that you can decide what you’re truly capable of. David J. Schwartz, the author of the bestselling book The Magic of Thinking Big, said,
Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.
I believe you can!
Be well + prosper,
Elaine