Everyone likes to be comfortable. Whether you’re snuggling with your fur baby, curled up on the sofa next to your significant other, or indulging in your favorite food, comfort is a good thing… sometimes. At other times, it’s better to reject comfort and step outside of your usual box. By doing so, you’ll reap significant benefits. Let’s talk about some of those benefits and discuss some tips to help you leave your comfort zone behind.
You’ll Discover What You Are Capable Of
Have you ever thought, “I can’t do that”? Then, maybe someone pressured you into giving it a try, and you discovered that actually, you can do that. Breakthrough moments like that will become more and more common after you make the resolve to step outside of your comfort zone. Whether you decide to learn a new language, pursue a new skill, or work to adopt healthy habits, you will get closer and closer to realizing your full potential.
You’ll Be Less Afraid of Failure
Some people stay in their comfort zone because they are afraid of failure or rejection, and it’s true that sometimes you will face challenges. People might ridicule you. You may find that you are lacking natural talent in a number of areas. Maybe you’ll even face some embarrassment. But as Albert Einstein once said, “You never fail until you stop trying.”
On your journey toward professional and personal growth, you’ll have enough victories to encourage you to keep going. And when you don’t succeed? View those instances as opportunities to learn, not reasons to give up.
You’ll Learn and Grow
The human brain is a remarkable creation with an infinite capacity to learn. Sadly, though, most people stop actively trying to learn once they reach a certain point in life. They thus rob themselves of opportunities to become wiser, more insightful, and more knowledgeable. They miss out on some of the richness of life. By making the commitment to lifelong learning — which requires that you step outside of your comfort zone — you’ll fill your brain with wholesome new facts and experiences.
You’ll Become More Confident
In a world where people are quick to criticize, confidence has become a rare and precious commodity. It may take a lot of effort to know your worth and not let negative influences drag you down. By stepping outside of your comfort zone and accomplishing new things, you’ll have more and more rich experiences to look back on. You’ll thus find that your confidence continually reaches new heights.
You’ll Boost Your Creativity
During your adventures outside your comfort zone, you’ll undoubtedly run into some obstacles. You’ll have to think creatively to navigate around those roadblocks and reach your goals. Plus, as you reach your goals, the new experiences you gain will stimulate your creativity and help you become a more dynamic thinker.
Your Comfort Zone Will Grow
Every once in a while, we all need to curl up in our comfort zone and shut out the rest of the world. When times like that come along, your previous attempts at stepping outside your comfort zone will already have expanded your comfort zone, and you will feel more at ease in a wide variety of situations.
Tips to Help You Break Free from Your Comfort Zone
Neale Donald Walsch, a famous author, once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Are you ready to break out of your comfort zone and see what is waiting for you beyond its borders? Here are some tips to help you do just that.
- Start small. Try making a list of things you would like to accomplish, and rank them by difficulty. Start with the items that you think will be easiest, and make your way down the list from there. For example, you might start with something as simple as trying a new type of cuisine or greeting strangers when you are in public. You’ll build confidence as you go!
- Seek support. Genuine friends will want to see you grow as a person. Tell them about your goals. They may have some useful advice to offer. At the very least, they can be your cheerleaders as you work to expand your horizons.
- Change your thinking process. An article from Forbes recommends that you repeat an empowering mantra, such as “I am fearless” to help you reprogram the thoughts that hold you back from your goals.
- Consider your motivation. Thinking about why you want to accomplish a specific task can help you to stay motivated when the going gets tough.
- Keep a journal. A journal can help you keep track of your thoughts. It’s also a great place to write down your accomplishments, reflect on what you learned when you didn’t reach a particular goal, and collect inspiring quotes from people you admire.
Do you have any thoughts or experiences that can encourage other people to leave their comfort zone behind? Let us know in the comments!