“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Roy T. Bennet
Many of us live our lives in our comfort zone with the “I cannot,” “I don’t want to,” or “it’s too difficult” thoughts that keep us stuck and unhappy. We allow these negative thoughts to control us and quench our desires for more, or at the very least, something different.
And while we can all agree, stepping into the unknown is frightening, it’s usually not until you’re willing to face that fear by stepping outside your place of perceived safety, that you experience who you really are.
Comfort zones keep us secure and safe, but they also have the ability to expand and retract based on our perceptions and actions.
Meaning, at any given point, you can decide to stretch yourself and experience incremental growth, or you can choose to remain safe, limiting your opportunities to grow.
Read More: How to Change Your Life by Changing Your Beliefs
So why is it that so many choose to stay within their comfort zones?
Because it is familiar.
Our brains are designed to keep us safe, so we’re essentially conditioned to stay in our comfort zone instead of facing the unknown.
However, remaining in our comfort zones for too long eventually results in us becoming stagnant, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled.
And just because we’re conditioned to operate a certain way, it doesn’t mean we can’t break free from said conditioning…to explore the abundance of opportunities and growth available to us!
So, imagine for a second what life could look or feel like if you were to cast off all your self-imposed constraints, and allow yourself to explore life outside your comfort zone.
- How would it feel?
- What new experiences would you take advantage of?
- What would your new growth reveal about you?
- How would you leverage this newly found confidence and courage?
If you’re ready to take the “big leap,” or even just a “small hop” away from the familiar, but don’t know where/how to start. I’ve got you covered.
Simply start with an (honest) internal assessment.
Find some quiet time and space and journal your responses to the following questions:
- Are you struggling with finding meaning in your life?
- Do your goals and passions keep appearing, tugging at you?
- Are there things you want to achieve but haven’t yet?
- Are you dissatisfied with your daily life?
- Is there material or immaterial things you want that you don’t have?
▶ Are you afraid of change? Check out this Podcast about change and overcoming challenging situations: Courageous Recovery
Once you’ve answered these questions, think about what’s been keeping you from going after what you want. Try to pinpoint where the discomfort is coming from.
You can start by assessing how it has or is it showing up in your thoughts and emotions (i.e., fear, anxiety, indecision, procrastination, avoidance, etc.)
There’s no rush or “right answer” to get to, so take your time answering these questions.
Read More: What Limiting Beliefs You Need to Shift Quickly To Succeed?
Once you realize what’s keeping you from stepping into your next level of greatness, you can then begin taking the necessary small steps to get there.
Life can be as exciting and fulfilling as we desire… we just have to be willing to yield to the process of growth, so we can meet the next version of ourselves on the other side.
