Everyone has a comfort zone, a psychological place where they feel secure. It acts as a barrier that defines your behavior and routine throughout your daily life without people even realizing. A comfort zone insinuates safety, security, protection, but it also implies shelter, as in you become sheltered and shielded from your own potential.
Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't something that humans do very often because we are creatures of habit. While your comfort zone is a beautiful place, you won't grow as a person there. Deciding to take a step out of your daily routine means that you are choosing to grow, and transition everyday.
Without ever stepping foot out of your comfort zone you risk missing out on new challenges and experiences in your life. Humans, again, are creatures of habit and comfort and though there's nothing wrong with wanting to feel safe, the minute you start to get too comfortable, you're holding yourself back.
Challenging yourself can help push you to your peak. I feel as though forcing yourself out of your comfort zone every once in a while is almost an essential factor in personal growth. When you challenge and motivate yourself, you'll tend to rise up to the occasion.
As children, we are natural risk-takers, but as we get older we get into the mindset of learning to fear failure instead of seeing the possibilities.
Creativity is an example of something that can be risky; when you share your creativity with those around you, you risk rejection and vulnerability, but if you're willing to risk that failure, it increases your possibility of a great achievement.
Innovation happens when you step outside of that self-made wall you put up. Any skill that you have right now, started off as awkward and stressful but the more you practiced it the better you became at it.
In fact, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is the key to overcoming fear and anxiety.
What I have learned from past experiences is that pushing passed your comfort zone isn't necessarily an easy task.
Start small if you have to, you don't need to throw your entire routine out the window. Start by doing minor things differently and work your way up to the bigger stuff.
The biggest thing I can advice you to do is to reinterpret fear as a feeling of excitement for new opportunities. If you manage to condition yourself to think this way, then the scary feeling in the pit of your stomach will soon become welcoming butterflies of new experiences.
Again, there's nothing wrong with your comfort zone, but pushing the borders won't hurt you, it can only help you flourish and reach new heights you've never even imagined.
The last few things I want to leave with you is that, it's the start of 2017, this means new beginnings and new opportunities. However, the new year means nothing if you're still in love with your comfort zone. You're only confined by walls you put up yourself, so don't be afraid to push your boundaries.
