Bust Out: Getting too comfortable.

“Get out of your comfort zone”. This is a statement that is frequently used to help us feel motivated to progress forward into uncharted territories and new experiences.

There was a time in life when comfort was a special and nice to have sort of thing. Our pioneering forefathers would have laboured out of sheer necessity from dawn to dusk in the hope of building a better life for themselves and their families to provide a level of comfort. Through this they would endure any amount of hardship that came their way. I wonder, what comfort would have looked like for them? Maybe a break from the hot sun, sitting in the shade with a drink of water and a piece of homemade bread.

Growing up, I remember visiting my nana and poppa’s house. They weren’t wealthy and they lived simply.  In their lounge there was only one comfortable chair, that was the chair Poppa used to always sit in, ‘affectionately named Poppa’s chair’. When he wasn’t around my sister and I used to fight over who would get to sit in it, because it really was comfortable.

Now days comfort for me would extend to a holiday away staying at a flash resort, preferably in the tropics, fully catered, and getting waited upon. Waking up when I want, doing what I want whenever I want. Watching the sun set with the one I love while sipping a pina colada. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Comfort is something that is relative to our circumstance. If we are used to sitting on soft seats, sitting on hard seats for long periods will be uncomfortable. Comfort is what we get used to, become familiar with, or sometimes take things for granted.   

“Living in comfort all the time will rob you of growth”

Harvey Deutschendorf is an emotional intelligence expert, author and speaker and he says there are five reasons to get out of your comfort zone:

1.      IT DEVELOPS YOUR INNER STRENGTH

We know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Yet that is exactly what some people do in their everyday lives, making themselves feel stuck and unhappy. Implementing something new that makes us uncomfortable (like picking up a new hobby or making a new friend) will help us build our inner strength. Even if we fail—which often happens—we will have an experience that we can draw upon in the future. Put together, these experiences will act as building blocks that allow us to lead a more meaningful life.

2. IT BUILDS YOUR CONFIDENCE

Confidence is not something we are born with. It’s a skill we can build by setting goals, achieving those goals, and setting more goals to pursue. In order to develop confidence, we need to face our fears and take a risk. We all know the exhilarating feeling that comes with achieving something that we were not even sure we could do before. The more goals we set and achieve, the further our confidence will soar.

3. IT MAKES US MORE ADAPTABLE TO CHANGE

The more time we stay inside of our comfort zones, the scarier new territory will appear to us. But the world is changing rapidly, and those who fear change risk getting left behind. For people who are already pushing their comfort zone, change will not appear as frightening. Instead, they’ll welcome a new project at work or learning a new language as a challenge that can open up possibilities for growth that were not there before.

 4. IT MAKES US MORE CREATIVE

There is nothing worse for our creativity than never straying from the path of what is tried and true. The longer we are unwilling to entertain new thoughts, ideas, and ways of going deeper, the more we slip into a rut. By trying something new, we stir up creative juices that will awaken our imagination.

5. YOU WON’T OTHERWISE KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

Those who never venture far will never know what might have been if they had tried to do things beyond what they initially felt they could manage. All successful people have taken risks, failed, picked themselves up, and risked again until they figured it out.

My 5 Learnings:

·       When I’m feeling too comfortable, I should look at what needs to change.

·       Feeling comfortable is relative to my circumstance and what I’m used to.

·       I need to take more risks

·       Learn from what others see as uncomfortable and apply it to my life

·       I should consider comfort an exception not a rule

It’s okay to be comfortable, the question is at what cost. Most of us will need to be intentional about identifying and moving through our places of comfort. Think about what life would look like if we can push through our comfort zones?

My 3 Questions for you:

·       How do you respond in uncomfortable situations?

·       What comforts do you need to step out of?

·       What is hindering you from stepping out of your comfort zone?

“By leaving your comfort zone behind and taking a leap of faith into something new, you find out who you are truly capable of becoming.” Anonymous

If you have something you have learnt from this blog, or if there is something you have questions about, please talk to me. I would be happy to chat with you.

 Remember daily to, “Find value in your influence”