Life begins at the end of your comfort zone

We all live in a bubble in some way or the other, and I believe you are trying to break one which explains why you are here. Comfort zone always makes us feel comfortable, safe, and secure thus hindering us from trying out new things, acquiring new skills, or working on that project which we have been postponing- god only knows for how long. Hence, the adage claims that “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Getting out of it is always a painful process, but that in itself is the first essential step toward real, actual, and tangible growth.

Trap of Comfort Zone

Since comfort zone means it is comfortable and when something is comfortable we tend stay in it in rather than change it. For instance, it is like a job were we do what is required of us to get by but not more than that. Getting quick dopamine fixes throughout the day on our phones or other devices. Spending weekends hanging out with the same people we’ve always socialized with. And I get it, why would I voluntarily put myself in a position of struggle, if I don’t have to? However, if we only live our lives in the comfort zone, we might be unknowingly doing ourselves an injustice.

While our comfort zone is indeed comfortable, it also has one big drawback. People who are stuck here for too long don’t just stagnate, but they often regress backwards. When you’re doing the same things, the same way, over and over, the comfort zone itself begins to shrink. The things that you were comfortable with before will gradually become less comfortable.

It is, in essence, the truth that we are living within our comfort zone; however, that does not mean that we are not changing but, instead, lowers our ability to grow, adapt, and bounce back as with a muscle when it’s not exercised. Imagine a friend who suffers from social anxiety, with time he distances himself from all social gathering and even talking to close friends will seem strange for him, and I myself have experienced the same. Once he was a refugee peace soon turns into obstacles and makes even the simplest things look burdensome. What once felt safe quickly becomes a hurdle, where even the simplest of acts seems impossible.

The Power of Doing Hard Things

Getting into a “development zone” is just outside of your comfort zone. It often comes with self-doubts and discomfort. Imagine yourself at the gym, lifting the same weights every day. Without challenge, your muscles won’t develop. Without a challenge, we run the risk of being stale in our development.

Think about learning a new language. At first, every word seems out of place and every sentence sounds foreign. But as we encourage ourselves to read more broadly, engage in conversations, and deal with tough situations, we begin to improve. This struggle itself leads to continuous improvement. Though it may seem strange and weird, progress is necessary for change. Every important life adventure presents its own challenges.

Three Pragmatic Steps Out of the Comfort Zone

If this is too much, begin little. There are three ways to stretch out of the comfort zone:

Consistency

Mix up your pace. If you are in the gym three times a week right now, try four. Or if you’re learning some new skill, be sure to find time each day to practice it. Each repetition makes this new habit more familiar and durable.

Intensity

Get tougher. Choose to run faster instead of jogging. For learning, get into tougher subjects. The program pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes the experience not just fun but challenging as well.

Length

Challenge yourself to take a few steps more. The challenge for you: read for five more minutes or run ten minutes more minutes. Little strides make great differences in terms of endurance improvement and development. Use these techniques to learn any powerful tool for whatever you want to improve your life in, apply for the job that you think is out of your grasp, or whatever other goals. Always start in a specific area and challenge yourself only when you feel ready for it. Growth means steady, focused effort, not trying to take on too many challenges at once.

Knowing How Far to Go

An over-exercising would have such an effect on someone making him or her find out the limits of the capability. It can easily expose one to the danger zone where comfort changes from difficult to painful. Such effects may lead to burn out, and in some cases even injury. 

For example, a person is inspired to drop all the things and hit the gym for five days a week. Few weeks later you will find him slumping on the couch again, tired and exhausted. We tend to get ourselves into the cycle of guilt and frustration when we are trying to change too fast because it reinforces the belief that real change is just impossible.

Start slow. You do not need to bring about a huge change at once. However, have workable goals. If you are passive, then you could work towards a workable exercise that could happen thrice a week at least. Every little success builds up your strengths which will create a momentum in the positive direction. The pace that attracts you towards these successes will keep propelling you forward and you can move ahead without facing any obstacles.

Building a Positive Feedback Loop

Even if it’s a very small goal, the achievement helps your mind receive an important signal: “I can do this.” Even writing a few words on a piece of paper or saying a sentence in an unfamiliar language or lifting an extremely light weight can be incredibly small tasks. Yet all these tiny successes add self-confidence.

Even a small amount of proof for improvement maintains the foundation of flexibility. Improvement in one aspect of your life builds up your self-confidence in other aspects, too.

Consider this as a challenge. It could wake you up for more challenges in your career after you achieve the fitness that you have been aiming to have. Furthermore, this can bring confidence in engaging in social activities that seem hard for you before these challenges. Venturing into the unknown comfort zone widens opportunities for personal improvement.

The Balance of Progress and Rest

Maintaining the balance between advancement and rest is a must, constantly challenging yourself is not necessarily a requirement to get out of your comfort zone; you must find your balance between personal development and breaks so that your “new normal” takes root. The more boundaries you push, the farther they’ll be from narrowing. 

Each new experience takes a little time to accumulate in the mind, and this is exhausting if too much is done at a time. The best way to get sustainable development is by combining effort with short-span rest.

You would strategize on pushing your comfort levels in some areas while still keeping comfort zones in others. Do not extend too much pressure on areas where you are trying to improve work performance. By doing this, you encourage motivation that will last, ensure that you are not easily flooded, and continue growing.

Finding Meaning in Suffering

It can be painful to step into discomfort, but it gives way to actual fulfillment. Being in your comfort zone cuts out a big deal of your life experience. However, this discomfort must be for a reason; it’s not enough just to feel uncomfortable. You may study hard, knowing you’re suddenly “dumb.” The pain of this learning is what makes it stick.

The ideal should be to be busy with experiences that uplift and do not hurt you. Whether acquiring new skills, healthy habits, or better social competence is on your wish list, choose to engage yourself in challenges that will come in handy for you sometime in the future. 

Your Journey to True Potential

Every area has limits, but your potential do not. Most of us really do not know our real potential because we run away from things that defeat us at the very first challenge. And if we run away from everything which is uncomfortable, then by what means do we ever figure out our real limitation? Why not try something small today? It might be reading more, doing a few more push-ups, or having some conversation-provoking thoughts. Just start. You’ll look back before you even realize how much you are able to do.

In Conclusion 

Life actually begins where you tend to step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes the road may be tiring, but with each step you will come to realize that it was something you never thought would enrich your life. A comfort zone is a safe haven, but it cannot stay as one’s home. Accept inconvenience, acknowledge the hardships, and remember, your biggest power is only behind that search bar. Push yourself a little bit every day; you’ll be in for a surprise.

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