Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Now!
So the comfort zone sounds like a good place to hang out. Most of us have been there. Some more than others. The artificial mental boundary that gives you a sense of security and feelings of comfort. In this zone, you can put my feet up and not worry. Everything is routine. Everything is familiar. Everything is safe.
No wonder this place is so damn popular. Throw in some happiness, low anxiety, and reduced stress for good measure. Who would not want to be at that party?
So, why do you need to leave this ever so lovely zone?
Well for starters, you can achieve more when you step out of your comfort zone. Things that you feared before, will at some point be in your comfort zone.
Being comfortable is a barrier to achieving your dreams or goals. Short-sightedness, and a belief that things cannot change ensue.
The more you push yourself to do things you wouldn’t normally do and experience uncertainty in a controlled manner, the better you’ll be able to deal with unexpected situations as they arise.
Pushing yourself are great ways to inspire and educate yourself. This means you get more creative in the process.
Low anxiety causes you to be too comfortable and too much anxiety causes you to be too stressed. In both cases productivity decreases.
Many of you have most likely at some point been in the middle of this space. The holy grail of performance. A place called ‘optimal performance’.
Here, you start to feel just enough increased anxiety that performance is maximised. It’s a sweet spot of human performance and place where we’re motivated to succeed.
Source: Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, 1908
Eventually, you can get addicted to this sweet spot. So, naturally, you enthusiastically start looking forward to embracing the next hurdle to be your best. Who said addictions were all bad?
OK, so how do you step out of your comfort zone?
You can start by making changes to your daily routine. Small changes can push you to step outside your comfort zone eventually. Subtle differences in your day-to-day routine will lead to bigger changes over time.
Start thinking big, but take small steps. What’s the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time of course. Never lose sight of the big goal. Tackle it in small bits, one mouthful at a time.
Step up and try new things without worrying about getting it right the first time. You will grow no matter what the results. It’s not about winning or losing, but about embracing the change.
As you read this I am sure you’ll be thinking, “why is he harping on about something I already know!” That’s great if you do, go grab an ice cream and chill for a bit.
For me and my team, this acts as a reminder as it reasserts the behaviours I know my team and I should be practising for the goals we want to achieve. We hope they have the same impact on you and your team.
