credit: stevenjude

I was talking to someone tonight about people who stay in the same job for years and years but don’t seem to like the job! You know the type of person I’m talking about: they always seem to be particularly moody, never go out of their way to help anyone and permanently seem to fix a kind of ‘half sneer’, bitter look on their face.

When coming across people like this in my own line of work, I’ve often thought “why are they working here!” It seems that everyone would benefit when someone with this kind of attitude leaves the job completely.

Many of these people have just become comfortable with where they are at, and even though the job holds no more joy for them, the comfort of familiarity has kept them there.

I’ve also found myself in similar situations where I’ve stayed on with something despite my lack of interest (to a lesser extent than the above example, I hope!). Jobs that I’ve held for several years without changing, people I’ve hung out even though our interests drifted apart, things I was interested in but chose not to pursue: all of these were because my current situation was easy.

Staying in a comfort zone

I’ve been fortunate in the last year to have several things happen that have taken me out of my comfort zone. Some of these I made a decision to do, like changing jobs. Other things I kind of fell into as opportunities arose (very reluctantly!) like public speaking in small groups and taking on leadership roles at work. What I’ve discovered is that the experiences can be frightening! But they can also really make you feel like you are living again.

I’ve also been guilty in the past of deliberately (but secretly) avoiding situations that caused me fear or would be pushing me outside my comfort zone. I’ve shuffled my roster, made up excuses and even used sickness as an excuse to avoid challenging or uncomfortable work situations. What I found is that this only fuels feelings of discomfort and fear, and you find yourself wondering if you’ll have to face that situation again.

credit: Jaap Steinvoorte (Japarazzi)

Step out of your comfort zone

Why is it important to step out of your comfort zone? No one likes to do it! Some of the benefits are:

• It’s liberating! One way to fix feelings of boredom or that you’re ’stuck in a rut’ is make that first decision to get out! Change can be a great thing.
• You gain a real sense of accomplishment. This can be a real boost to your confidence and self-esteem too - stepping outside your comfort zone proves to yourself that you really can achieve more than you thought.
• Fear is limiting. You will never be all that you can be as long as fear is holding you back.
• One accomplishment leads to another. As you step outside your comfort zone, small steps lead to larger ones - who knows what you can achieve, are you holding yourself back?

What do you really want to get out of life? Are you staying in a ‘comfortable’ place because it’s too difficult to step out of your comfort zone?

How to take that first step

One of the first steps in pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is to identify what it is that is causing you to stay there. Some of the questions you can ask yourself are:

1. What things make me feel anxious or fearful? (for me, public speaking causes anxiety)
2. Why do I feel that way - is it because of past experiences? (yes! see this post)
3. Would I be happier, grow as a person and boost my self esteem if I could do those things? (definitely)
4. What things have I been holding back from doing or trying?

Having the courage to step out of your comfort zone is not something that you will want to do, or is easy to do. If you really want to grow as a person, achieve some great things and avoid becoming stale, it really can be life changing. Also, when you are able to face your fears and push yourself beyond your current limits, you find that it becomes a little easier each time you continue to do so.

credit: rougerouge.

Where to start

Here’s some things you can do to push yourself to a whole new level this week:

1. Identify an area that you are fearful of or have been avoiding because you are staying in your comfort zone.
2. Envision the experience as going really well - see yourself handling it well, coping with it well.
3. Step out in faith! You were not born with a spirit of fear. Think about other people who do that thing well - they are just a person, like you. This has often been a motivating factor for me when I have pushed myself outside boundaries. Think if other people can do it, so can I.
4. Put it into action. Take a step! Challenge yourself by stepping outside your comfort zone and trying some things you have avoided. You will be amazed how much you can grow as a person by pushing yourself.