“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Roy T. Bennett
There’s no better way to start this article than with a quote that resonates with such a profound truth.
Living in a comfort zone, even though it makes you feel safe and secure, is one of the worst things that can happen to you. It’s actually the worst place you can find yourself in. It’s even worse than being stuck in a friend zone.
ARE YOU IN A BOX?
Have you ever given any thought to this subject? Have you ever tried to assess whether or not you’re living your life from the crippling safety of a comfort zone?
If you haven’t, please stop putting it off. Stand in front of a mirror, look yourself dead in the eye, and ask “Am I in a box?”
Given the fact that we often miss things that are right in front of us, it’s no surprise that self-assessment isn’t the simplest of tasks for quite a lot of people. It’s way easier to see what someone else’s issues are, but often times we’re completely blind to our own. Especially if we’ve been battling them for a while. Hell, even if we stink for some time, our senses accept it as a default and we just stop noticing that something’s off.
Performing an objective self-evaluation can be one of the most daunting tasks, and even though a lot of people subconsciously shy away from it, that shouldn’t worry us much. We’re not a bunch of sissies, we’re modern gents, and wanting to better ourselves is in our DNA.
THE DANGER OF LIVING IN A COMFORT ZONE
If after a thorough self-assessment you reach a conclusion that instead of living life to its fullest potential you’re just hiding inside of a box, then you should know two things.
#1
Choosing to continue living from a comfort zone carries a lot of risks. And this is not an understatement.
Not being able to make important decisions, fearing every new experience, and running away from everything good that wants to come into your life will inevitably result in many, many missed opportunities. And that’s ok if you haven’t any dreams and aspirations. But if you want to make your life a pleasant experience, if you want to live and to achieve things you’ll be proud of one day, missing valuable opportunities because you’re afraid to leave your comfort zone is nothing less than risky. Very, very risky I’d say.
One of the opportunity risks of choosing to stay in a comfort zone is not allowing yourself to blossom into the best version of yourself you can possibly be.
Our life is a work in progress, we’re never done, there’s always something to work on, there will always be the next step and by choosing to stay in a comfort zone we choose to live in a constant loop of being afraid of the next step, wanting to take it and running away from it at the same time.
Living in such circumstances eliminates every chance for healthy personal growth and inevitably leads to many disappointments.
Growing as a person requires a lot of courage and a lot of work. We can’t become what we wish to become by running away from it.
Every growth begins once you climb out of the box. By choosing to surrender to fear and to keep being in a comfort zone, you’re not only choosing to not expand, but you’re also choosing not to live, not to experience all the beautiful things the Universe has in store for you.
#2
You’re in luck, my friend. Because now you can take action. Action to step outside and finally start living your life the way your soul craves you to.
HOW TO FINALLY LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Yeah, that’s all fine and dandy, Stefan, but what should I do?
How do I finally leave this mothe*#$%*ing zone?
Change your morning routine and develop some healthy morning habits
A lot of us who’ve experienced the dark side, who are familiar with numbing atmosphere the box reeks of, know that waking up late kinda goes hand in hand with severe comfort zone-ism.
And as it’s one of the biggest bridges to cross on your path from not being really that productive, to being healthy and healthily productive, making sure to develop a strong morning routine is your best bet.
Make incremental steps
Once you’ve finally decided to leave the zone of demise and gloom, one of the most important things to understand is that every small step, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is a small win in and of itself.
Don’t think that once you step outside of your comfort zone everything will be unicorns and rainbows.
Every time you hit a wall, you’ll have a tendency to go right back and hide. And as with everything else in life, hitting a wall is inevitable. So be smart. Make walls short enough that you can easily see yourself jumping over them.
If you’ve never approached a woman before, leaving your comfort zone isn’t “I WANNA GET 10 PHONE NUMBERS TODAY”.
Start with “ I WANT TO SAY HELLO TO 3 WOMEN” and work your way up.
Make a list of 2-4 important things to do tomorrow
Making daily to-do lists is an amazing way to add structure to your days.
Writing down some of the most important things you need to do is a fantastic way to plan the day and to keep yourself in check. Every evening make a short list of some things you want to accomplish the next day and stick to it. Be consistent. As with most things in life, consistency is the key.
Finish the most important task of the day before noon
Tackling the most important task of the day first has a lot of benefits. Going through your afternoon knowing that you’ve already done something important today gives you peace of mind. There’s nothing worse than procrastinating and beating around the bush, doing something completely irrelevant while an important task you know you have to do sits on your shoulders.
Doing the most important tasks before noon eliminates that, and instead of feeling miserable and anxious all day, it brings you peace and a sense of accomplishment.
Challenge yourself to do new things
One of the best ways to exit the comfort zone and to add some spice to your daily routine is to challenge yourself to do some things you’ve never done before. It can be anything from eating in a new restaurant to taking up a new hobby. Just as long as you’ve never done it before. If it’s something new, it qualifies.
Never ever beat yourself up
If you ever experience some hardship on your path of taking your personal power back, one thing you mustn’t do is beating yourself up. This is something you should absolutely never do. You’ve spent enough time beating yourself up. It’s time for you to be your own loudest cheerleader.
*COLD TURKEY tip
Next time you see someone you feel attracted to on the street, or anywhere else, count to 3, and just approach them and introduce yourself.
BENEFITS OF LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE
You may have already heard that life begins at the end of the comfort zone. But what exactly happens, what makes our lives better once we finally gather all the balls we need to climb out of the box?
Immense growth
One of the main drawbacks of being in a comfort zone transforms into one of the biggest blessings, the minute you exit it. All the missed growth opportunities, that have been piling up for years, now come back yearning to be explored. And that results in immense growth.
Sense of accomplishment
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of rush you get when you finally do the thing you’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Adrenalin starts rushing through your body and you feel like you’re about to take off. The feeling that makes you feel alive and brings you a great sense of joy and accomplishment.
Fear beating
That’s what happens when we step out. That’s how our bodies react when we finally man up and realize that new is nothing to be fearful of, that it’s the beginning of all things beautiful. That rush you get when you crush a comfort zone for the first time, that’s your body saying “Congrats, fear’s ass is finally kicked.”
You enter the productivity zone
Once you beat the fear of the unknown, and you finally decide to explore and enjoy life, you enter the productivity zone. That’s the zone of productivity, duh.
Basically, that’s when you start taking some serious action. You stop being afraid of acting on your dreams and aspirations, and are finally able to do what has to be done. You’re finally able to become consistent, to put in the required daily work that’s necessary to get where you want to go.
CONCLUSION
Being in a comfort zone, and not being able to escape it is a sad reality for many people. Putting ourselves in a box gives us a false sense of security, and the only thing it protects us is life itself.
Ask yourself “Am I in a box?”.
If the answer is “YES” then ask “Do I really want to avoid living the only life I have”.
Now just start living. As simple as it sounds, and as difficult as it might be, just start. You can start anywhere. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, if it makes you feel just a bit more alive, then it’s absolutely worth it.
