Being in our comfort zone is defined by familiarity, absence of tension or stress. But, the moment we decide to step out of our comfort zone, it is often when we achieve and surpass all expectations. It’s in those moments when we are taking action or accomplishing something that stretches us beyond those areas that we’re already familiar or comfortable with that we achieve our greatest successes. There is also typically some sort of stressful element involved, but it’s a kind of stress that we’re later glad we experienced in order to attain a previously unexperienced and new level of success in our lives.
As the years go by, it has become a difficult task to get out of my comfort zone. At times, I find I’m less willing to take the chances that I would have easily opted in for during for example, my early twenties. I think that’s why it’s even more important as we get older to make a regular practice of regularly moving outside of what has become our current comfort zone. These five strategies have allowed me to achieve that.
1. Be open to learning something new
You can decide to try something different. It could be a career change, a shift in your location, or an entirely new way to see the world. Think about something that you’ve always wanted to try and then make a commitment to following through and pursuing it. However, avoid the tendency to devote too much time to pondering the pros and cons of committing to that new thing in your life that you’ve always dreamed of someday achieving. Be informed.
However, if you’ve been considering something for a long time, it’s likely that you’ve already given a lot of thought to whether this is something that you really want in your life or not. Commit to it now rather than giving the mind time to come up with reasons why you shouldn’t follow through. The mind will always provide reasons why it can’t be done. This is your time and your moment, you’ve thought about it enough, now follow through.
2. Do something
I like Mel Robbins concept of “The Five Second Rule.” It basically advocates taking action quickly once you’ve made a decision about something that you want to do or achieve. Being action oriented is key to following through on a commitment that we’ve made to ourselves. Make the first step towards your new commitment as soon as you can. This action should be directed at those moments of hesitation or fears. It is easy to get discouraged by waiting too long. It is possible that we will never reach the new heights of our own success. It is crucial to take the first step in order for something to happen. It may be five seconds or a bit longer, but don’t take too long, instead take action on what you’ve promised to yourself.
“The hardest thing to do is leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.” -T. Arigo
3. Stop Procrastination
We cannot achieve success if we procrastinate. It insists on staying in our comfort zone for now, but assures us that at a later date we really will move forward and achieve what we’ve promised ourselves. The reality is we probably won’t. You must do what you are most confident in doing to reach your goals. It is what? You can take an immediate step to realize your dreams and visions. This step, along with ending your procrastination right now may give you the push to get out of your comfort zone. It also might bring in an incredible sense of relief knowing that you’ve finally stopped waiting because of fear and actually moved toward a new level of success, opportunity, and vision for your life.
4. You might consider changing your location
It’s not always possible, I get it. Sometimes, however, committing to something completely new requires us to do it somewhere else. For me, a place where I’ve already lived, worked, or grew up holds a lot of associations, and with those, its own built-in limitations. Sometimes they create an invisible and unnecessary barrier to future success. While this may not be the case all of the time, it is sometimes possible to find a new place that will allow you to start over. The newness of the location and our unfamiliarity creates an atmosphere that is fresh and exciting.
We’re not aware of the limitations and we don’t have any pre-existing biases toward the location, ideally. This gives us the opportunity to start anew along with the new goals and levels of success that we’re hoping to achieve. It’s something to consider and can even result in meeting new people, obtaining new possibilities, and moving forward in ways that we haven’t previously expected or experienced.
5. Take a `Let’s Do It Approach’ More Often
Shonda Rhimes has it right with her “Year of Yes” concept. If we didn’t say no right away to the possibilities that are presented to us, where might it lead? Given the brevity of life, shouldn’t we find out more often? Maybe we’re more inclined to say no generally and even have a good list of reasons for doing so. This could be something as basic as not wanting go outside in the cold to visit a friend at coffee shop at night.
It seems that our first instinct is to choose comfort over all else. However, what if we did say, “Let’s do it” instead, and followed up on those new possibilities. This could open up new opportunities, connections or experiences that lead us to new levels of success. Forward motion is possible by being more open to possibilities and willing to accept risks. Saying “no” closes down the possibility, shuts the door, and with that any future possibilities with rapidity.
If we react against a reflexive instinct to say “no,” and instead embrace a “Let’s do it Approach,” we may surprise ourselves with new degrees of success that we previously couldn’t have envisioned.
Conclusion
It’s not always easy to get out of our comfort zone. But, sometimes our greatest achievements are just outside of it. It’s possible to take small steps towards making this transition. Committing to something new that we’ve always envisioned for ourselves is a start followed by taking action, however small. This builds momentum, and helps us move in the right direction.
It is good to stop procrastinating and think about what we can do right now rather than waiting for tomorrow or some undetermined date in the future. This will help us move closer towards our goals. Moving to a new location could make all the difference in removing obstacles from our path and opening up possibilities. Finally, taking a “let’s do it approach” and staying open to the possibilities can lead us onto things and levels of success that we may not have ever previously envisioned for ourselves.
Addicted 2 Success published the post Five Success Strategies to Leave Your Comfort Zone.
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