Why You Should Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

You have finally settled on several routines that you have made your own.  You have a routine for work, play, prayer and/or meditation, and working out.  You have a set way of doing each of these things and you are comfortable. You have found your comfort zone. The good news is that more likely than not you will be able to stay comfortable by doing things the way that you have become accustomed to doing them.  The bad news is that you will not be able to realize any notable personal growth or accomplish more than your average accomplishment unless you stop being comfortable, take a risk and try something different. 

Let’s Define Comfort Zone

Before we go any further, let’s give a definition of “comfort zone.”  Your comfort zone is boundaries that you set up in your mind that you feel comfortable within and that you cannot cross without a feeling of distress.  Your comfort zone is a behavioral area where what you do and how you behave are common for you.  Common activity in this behavioral area provides a place of mental security. 

Comfort Zone and People’s Natural Tendency

There are many people who find themselves in circumstances where they are feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.  Even so, it is unnatural for them to change their normal activity and try something different because those unhappy and unfulfilling circumstances are familiar and “safe.”  Many people keep jobs and relationships that have long lost relevance simply because they fear what is unfamiliar to them.  Little do they know that real security does not come from things that are found outside.  Real security comes from within.

Why You Should Reach for Discomfort

If you want to have a steady level of performance then it is perfectly fine to operate within your comfort zone.  However, in order to realize a peak level of performance you have to step a little bit outside of your comfort zone.  This is where you would find healthy levels of stress, healthy levels of anxiety and consequently your optimum levels of mental productivity and performance.  Without some stress we lose our competitive edge and fail to push to reach our optimum level of success.

 When you reach for a little discomfort by stepping out of your comfort zone you will be more productive.  Mainly because when we are operating in comfort we tend to do just enough to stay comfortable.  When we operate out of comfort we tend to lose our drive to accomplish and learn new things.  When we have a little bit of unease because of deadlines, etc. we tend to push harder to do more.

Reaching for a little discomfort helps you to do more when you can control how far you step out of your comfort zone.  It can also help you to acclimate better when things are out of your control and you are forced out of your comfort zone.  If you take the time to practice stepping outside your comfort zone when things are going great you will be better prepared to step outside of your comfort zone when circumstance beyond your control forces you into unfamiliar territory.

Once you start stepping out of your comfort zone you will find that it becomes increasingly easy to do.  You will eventually become a pro at using “productive discomfort” to give you an edge and push you towards accomplishing new goals.    

Stepping outside of your comfort zone increases creativity and your ability to brainstorm.  It’s a no brainer that once you begin to broaden your horizons and do more you begin to have more experiences that can inspire you. 

Conclusion

Stepping outside of your comfort zone presents an opportunity for personal growth and development.  You will be enriched by each new experience that you have.  Each new experience pushes you to a higher level of self-development.  Each time you step out of your comfort zone will pave a new road on the journey to personal development.

If you learned anything new from this article then please leave a comment.