Challenging The Comfort Zone
"If I see myself today as I was in the past, my past must resurrect itself and become my future."
William James
I’m Still Thinking. . . about the lure of the comfort zone. I navigated toward several such zones this past week. They were so comfy. Safe. Easy. And yes, I must admit they were a bit boring and proved to be fruitless. A dead end.
To experience a brighter future void of comfort zone mentality, consider saturating your mind and life today with the following fundamentals. They will assist you in overcoming fears, inhibitions, doubts and negative attitudes that restrict life-enhancing adventures.
1. Commit Yourself To Newness
“No man need live a minute longer as he is because the creator endowed him with the ability to change himself.”
J.C. Penney
Make a commitment to new skills, new feelings, new discoveries, new insights, a new way of looking at life. This commitment is the beginning to a new lifestyle. Until there is commitment, there is hesitancy, a tendency to fall back into the comfort zone.
What you commit yourself to will change what you are and what you experience. Committed people accept no excuses and produce the results they want.
Here's the payoff. The more committed you are to something, the less difficult it will ultimately appear. Obstacles, hurdles, and setbacks become temporary inconveniences or even opportunities to be pursued.
2. Stop Doing What You Are Doing
“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
Max DePree
Stop something you are presently doing that is not enriching your life. Let go of those actions and inactions that show stagnation. Remember, if you keep doing what you're doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.
Sometimes, the most difficult step toward growth is simply stopping what isn't working or getting in your way. It's difficult to exit the ruts that have provided comfort and security. Routines that inhibit fullness of life will need corrective measures.
Stop being negative. Stop criticizing others. Stop complaining about your work, marriage, other people, or life in general. Stop procrastinating. Stop telling yourself you can't do it. Stop blaming others or circumstances. Stop giving others control of your life. Stop settling for mediocrity.
3. Take A Risk.
"There is nothing in this world that's worth doing that isn't going to scare you."
Barbara Sher
“Wishcraft”
Tremendous opportunities await you. But first, you must overcome the fear of stepping into the unknown. Fear is the greatest single obstacle to success and imprisons people from possibilities. The fear of letting go of what we have in pursuit of something more can be paralyzing.
People avoid taking new risks because of the perceived degree of effort and displeasure required to leave their comfort zone and the fear of failure. But, without risk, the achievement of even the greatest endeavor will seem dull and routine.
The next time you are confronted with the choices of challenge or comfort, risk the former and explore new territories. Plan to live without unnecessary limitations. Live with and enjoy uncertainties. Be different from the masses. Invest the time and effort needed to excel beyond mediocrity. Play the game...the whole game. And play it with an agenda of uncompromised excellence.
4. Master The Principle Of Momentum
“It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast.”
Lewis Carroll
Realizing how quickly the future becomes the past, the present takes on a whole new urgency. There are multitudes of people who crave the best now but few do what they know needs to be done. What you do in the "here and now" is what makes the difference.
Make your move now by creating momentum through action. Please understand - you don't prepare to exit the comfort zone. You take a giant leap and work out the details later. Waiting to get everything "just right" will stymie action.
It's possible to spend an eternity getting ready for something without ever taking the necessary action to realize it. Preparation can become a stall tactic. Momentum is crucial. Trust your instincts and go for it.
A life filled with meaningful activity and the pursuit of compelling dreams insures the maintenance of momentum. You have to move out into the wide expanse of life and investigate what's there. Develop and nurture small wins. Build on minute advances. Celebrate persistence. Join the welcoming committee to fight redundant procedures and outcomes. You may initially feel like a fish out of water but you'll enjoy the expanded wall of comfort.
Seize the opportunity to take the seemingly insignificant steps to innovate, cultivate and create fresh prospects on the canvas of each new day.
“There occurs at breathtaking moments in history an exhilarating burst of energy and motivation, of hope and zest and imagination, and a severing of the bonds that normally hold in check the full release of human possibilities. A door is opened and the caged eagle soars.”
John Gardner
