Actually everyone has a comfort zone. As a little girl, I was terrified when my teacher asked the class something. I never raised my hand first, afraid of failure, afraid of being in the picture. I'd rather duck into my comfort zone, safely in the back of the classroom. I lived like this for years. But the very moment when I did make myself known in different areas and overcame my fear, were at the same time the moments of the most growth. What was your biggest fear and how did you overcome it?
Being able and willing to take risks by stepping outside your comfort zone is the most important way in which we grow. But we are often afraid to take that first step.
In fact, your comfort zone is not really about comfort, they are about fear. Break the chains of fear to come out. Once you do that, you will learn to enjoy the risk-taking process and grow in the process.
Below are 10 ways to step out of your comfort zone and get closer to success.
Run towards your fears. Embrace them. On the other side of your greatest fears lives your greatest life.
Robin Sharma (link)
Be aware of what's outside of your comfort zone
What things do you think are worth doing, but are afraid to do yourself because of the chance of disappointment or failure?
To understand what's within your comfort zone, there is a great simple exercise to draw a circle on a piece of paper. Everything you experience in your life right now is within your comfort zone (your circle): your current health status, your personal condition, your parenting style, the friendships you have, your current job, your financial condition and much more Lake.
Everything you desire in your life, but currently don't have, is just outside the circle, and getting it inside the circle will probably require you to do something new or different. You will have to step outside your comfort zone.
Be clear about what you want to overcome
Take your list of inconveniences and go deeper. Remember that the primary emotion you are trying to overcome is fear.
How does this fear affect any situation? Be very specific.
Are you afraid of walking up to people and introducing yourself in social situations? Why? Is it because you are unsure about the sound of your voice? Are you unsure about your appearance? Or are you afraid of being ignored?
Get comfortable with discomfort
One way to get outside your comfort zone is to literally expand it. Make it a goal to avoid running away from discomfort and anxiety.
Let's stick with the theme of meeting people in social settings. If you panic a little when talking to someone you've just met, try to hang around a bit longer than you normally would before retreating back into your comfort zone. If you stay long enough and exercise often enough, it will become less uncomfortable.
Think of failure as a teacher
Many of us are so afraid of failure that we would rather do nothing than make an effort to make our dreams come true.
Start dealing with your failures. What have you learned from the experience? How can you take that lesson with you on your next adventure to increase your chances of success?
Many very successful people often failed before they succeed.
Take baby steps to step out of your comfort zone
Don't try to jump outside your comfort zone, you'll likely get overwhelmed and jump right back in.
Move baby steps toward the fear you are trying to overcome. If you want to speak in public, first take every opportunity to speak to small groups of people. You can even practice with family and friends.
Hang out with risk takers
If you want to get better at something, you have to start interacting with the people who are doing what you want to do and following them. It is almost inevitable that their influence will begin to affect your behavior.
Be honest with yourself when you try to make excuses
Don't say "Oh, I just don't have time for this right now." Instead, be honest and say "I'm afraid to do this."
Don't make excuses, just be honest. If you confront yourself with what is really bothering you, your chances are really many times greater to move forward.
Don't take yourself too seriously
Learn to laugh at yourself when you make mistakes. Risk-taking inevitably involves failure and setbacks, which can sometimes make you appear silly to others. Be happy to fall and get up when others are having fun.
Focus on the fun
Enjoy the process of going beyond your safe limits. Enjoy the pleasure of discovering things about yourself that you may not have been aware of before.
It will seem very scary at first to get out of your comfort zone. But like I said, you don't have to jump out of your comfort zone right away, you can take baby steps gradually.
As you slowly push yourself past your comfort zone, you will feel more and more comfortable about the new things that seemed so dangerous to you.
Take the first step and I'm sure you'll make it!
