- Stretch Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Think about the times in your life when you have grown the most. I suspect each of those times were situations where you were stretched beyond your comfort zone. Perhaps it was a time of crisis, and even though there was no clear roadmap to follow, you were able to push through and achieve success. Perhaps you had a tough decision to make, where neither choice was a good one, so you just had to choose the lesser of two evils and forge ahead. Perhaps it was when a relationship was tested and you saw someone’s true colors for the first time. Perhaps it was when you experienced a loss – the death of a loved one or a loss of a job or a business.
When you were dealing with that situation, you likely had to behave differently in order to survive. You had to take chances that were uncomfortable, or do things that you would not normally choose to do if things were going well. By stretching beyond your comfort zone, you were able to accomplish more than you would have imagined.
So why do people tend to stay in their comfort zone? Are they lazy? Are they afraid of failure? Are they afraid to grow? If you want to grow and stretch yourself, why not start with baby steps, making sure that the stretching you do is in alignment with your core values? Instead of taking the easy, comfortable route, why not take the path that is just a bit more challenging (and likely more fulfilling?). Pretty soon, that new path will seem comfortable, and you will have grown a bit more. Then you can take the next step and reach beyond your comfort zone even more. Charge ahead a little at a time and keep track of your progress. You’ll be amazed at how far you will come!
Think about the times in your life when you have grown the most. I suspect each of those times were situations where you were stretched beyond your comfort zone. Perhaps it was a time of crisis, and even though there was no clear roadmap to follow, you were able to push through and achieve success. Perhaps you had a tough decision to make, where neither choice was a good one, so you just had to choose the lesser of two evils and forge ahead. Perhaps it was when a relationship was tested and you saw someone’s true colors for the first time. Perhaps it was when you experienced a loss – the death of a loved one or a loss of a job or a business.
When you were dealing with that situation, you likely had to behave differently in order to survive. You had to take chances that were uncomfortable, or do things that you would not normally choose to do if things were going well. By stretching beyond your comfort zone, you were able to accomplish more than you would have imagined.
So why do people tend to stay in their comfort zone? Are they lazy? Are they afraid of failure? Are they afraid to grow? If you want to grow and stretch yourself, why not start with baby steps, making sure that the stretching you do is in alignment with your core values? Instead of taking the easy, comfortable route, why not take the path that is just a bit more challenging (and likely more fulfilling?). Pretty soon, that new path will seem comfortable, and you will have grown a bit more. Then you can take the next step and reach beyond your comfort zone even more. Charge ahead a little at a time and keep track of your progress. You’ll be amazed at how far you will come!
Photo By: Boston Public Library / People Photos / CC BY-NC-ND