Complacency is the enemy of growth. Complacency often creeps in when things are going well, or at least relatively smoothly, in our lives.
That sounds like it should be a pretty positive thing, right?
The reality, however, is that it has a rather negative connotation, and there’s a good reason for that. This word implies satisfaction with one’s self, but this self-satisfied comfort comes with a huge price tag.
Becoming complacent is a significant contributor to feeling stuck in a rut.
It holds you back and keeps you in a state of limited potential.
Discover the hidden dangers of complacency and how to overcome them.
Signs of Complacency
Let’s look at some of the signs you may be approaching life in a complacent manner.
If you don’t see life as a learning experience and aren’t making efforts to learn something new for yourself, career, or business, you’ve likely fallen into an over-confident rut or simply, the enemy of growth.
When you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing.
And you could be putting yourself in a position to be passed over for new opportunities, such as a promotion at work, or new business venture with an industry peer.
Another indicator of complacency is avoiding risk or situations that may cause you to temporarily feel nervous or scared.
If left unchecked, this fear of change will limit and hold you back from greatness.
Significant life achievements require stepping out of your comfort zone and taking calculated risks.
Dangers of Complacency
When you become comfortable in your situation and feel no need to take steps to improve yourself or move on toward better things, it’s easy for inertia to set in.
This state of remaining unchanged becomes harder to overcome the longer it remains.
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When you’re coasting along comfortably in life, it’s also easy for your judgment to become impaired.
You may begin to become overconfident in your abilities to handle everything that’s on your plate and to underestimate any challenges that lie ahead.
This is definitely a dangerous place to be, as it leaves you ill-prepared to effectively manage life’s curveballs and unexpected challenges.
Overcoming Complacency
It is possible to overcome a complacent nature. Using the indicators previously listed, conduct a self-assessment to uncover and identify the area(s) you’ve become complacent.
If you find there are areas in your life where you’ve fallen victim to this mindset and way of being, make a commitment to take action, and set a few new goals for yourself.
Start small by choosing one new thing to do each day that takes you out of your comfort zone.
As an example, you can register for a course that will teach you a new skill, or help you position yourself for the next step in your career.
When you’re constantly working to improve yourself and to learn, you are far more able to proactively generate solutions to surprises you may encounter.
When setting your goals, be sure to keep the purpose behind it, or your “why” front and center in your mind.
This is what you’ll lean on for motivation as you move towards achievement.
Soon, you’ll be able to break free from this great enemy of growth and will find that this forward motion will easily build upon itself, pushing you to reach for even more challenging goals.
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