Settling into your comfort zone is normal. It is so easy to stay in your comfort zone and do the same things every day — and there is something to be said for having a solid routine that allows you to be healthy and productive.
However, when you remain in your comfort zone all the time, you tend to take minimal risks which result in minimal rewards. There is a great, big world out there with so many things to experience and see — so much to explore and so many goals to achieve! With minimal effort and risk, it is impossible to reach your fullest potential and value.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new can be scary — but it is the universal factor for personal growth. Everyone can get stuck in their comfort zone, but deciding to get out of it will lead to great achievement. So let’s get started…
SPEAK UP
Let it be known that you want to try something new. Tell your family and tell your friends. This will offer you a bit of accountability. Put it out there! It will probably be scary, and you might not succeed (on the first try). But if you never try, you will never know your full potential, and rallying the support from your family and friends will certainly help motivate you along the way.
MAKE A PLAN
Until you set a time and a place, your idea is just that — an idea. Bring it to life by creating a plan. When? Where? How?
Allowing yourself to “go with the flow” without a plan will keep you flowing in the direction of your comfort zone. Create the flow toward your new ideas. Trying something new doesn’t have to be reckless. You can be a calculated risk-taker.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES
It is easy to make excuses in a particular situation to allow yourself to get back to your comfort zone. In life there are endless opportunities to challenge yourself. If you continuously make excuses, then there is no growth. Be honest with yourself and try something new or different without the restrictions of your excuses.
BE CONFIDENT
Let go of what others think. Address your fears. Educate yourself on your new adventure. Life is full of unexpected and uncontrollable changes. By confidently choosing to step outside of your comfort zone, you are training yourself to better accept and adapt to the naturally occurring changes in life.
VISUALIZE
Picture yourself trying something new. Believe in yourself enough to make your dreams a reality. You CAN do this!
START SMALL
Start by taking baby steps out of your comfort zone. Read a new book in a different genre. Try a new recipe. Wear a new fragrance or a different shade of lipgloss. Once you feel the reality of trying these new (small) things, you will quickly start to feel more comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone.
Now get to it…. Take a risk. Fall down. Make mistakes. Get back up and try again. Always remember that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Make the leap and try something new in 2024!
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy; I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”
~ Art Williams.