5 Reasons to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

By Sparkle Abbey

Comfort Zone
noun
“The level at which one functions with ease and familiarity”-Merriam Dictionary

  

Have you ever felt stagnant, like your treading water? Have you thought that it was possibly time to get out of your comfort zone? But what does it really mean? In a nutshell – doing something you don’t feel comfortable doing. To push yourself to do something you wouldn’t normally do.

Habits are comfortable, but can they lead to limitations if we don’t test ourselves in small or big ways. Here are five reasons why you should break out of your comfort zone. 

1. It’s probably not at as bad as you think—when we are afraid to try something new or different, we tend to think about the worst case scenario. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, think about what could go right.
2. You grow – Trying something new, whether you succeed or not, causes growth. Build on those experiences.
3. Each time you step out of your comfort zone, the next time gets easier - Success breeds more success. Enough said.
4. You get out of your way – You know that saying, you can’t see the forest for the trees? Sometimes we can’t see what we can accomplish because we’re too afraid to try. Get out of your way.
5. It can change your life – If you don’t take risks how will you ever truly know what you’re capable of?

As a writer, stepping out of the comfort zone could mean tackling a longer novel, writing about a topic that has a deep personal meaning, writing about what you don’t know, trying a new plotting technique, taking an in-person craft class, or public speaking.

In your day-to-day life, getting out the comfort zone could mean ordering a new dish at your favorite restaurant, taking a different route to work, spending time by yourself without your cell phone, enrolling in a personal growth class, volunteering, trying a new sport, or becoming a mentor.

Pushing yourself out of the comfort zone is hard. It won’t be painless. You’ll likely have to face a self-defeating behavior—fear of failure, fear of success, perfectionism, etc. If you don’t stretch yourself, you’ll miss out on life experiences, achieving goals, and turning your dreams into reality.

Are you ready to take a risk and do something that will make you feel uncomfortable? We promise it’s worth the challenge.