What is a comfort zone?
A comfort zone is our self made boundaries where we set our limits and always get afraid, anxious or nervous to go out of theses boundaries and try something new.
It’s very easy to be in our boundaries and feel safe but by doing this we are limiting ourselves to many opportunities and life experiences and ultimately our reach and capabilities to achieve new millstones in life. We are limiting our personal growth.
Let's look at 10 simple ways to get out of a comfort zone:
1. Challenge your comfort zone and get comfortable with discomfort:
First thing to get out of comfort zone is to take the first step. Expand your boundaries. And challenge your comfort zone. Get comfortable with discomfort. Let’s say you are afraid of meeting new people or giving your opinion in a meeting. It could be anything. But try it, it will be uncomfortable but hang in there for a while and continue to practice it till it becomes comfortable.
2. Make it a habit to try something new:
Try something new …take a new route to home, change your daily routine, challenge your fears. Trying something new gives you confidence. Learn to enjoy the process of trying new things, challenging yourself and grow in life.
3. Get Information (become aware of what’s outside of your comfort zone):
Become Clear about what you are aiming to achieve. Get as much information you can. This way it will help you to become more familiar with the upcoming situation and it becomes easy to handle it.
4. Face the facts and your fears: (Be honest with yourself when you make excuses)
Face that you are afraid. Don’t give yourself any other excuse and lie to yourself. The more you will be honest with yourself, more it will be easy to overcome.
5. Take Baby Steps:
Don’t try too much at first. It might put you back in your boundaries again. Take baby steps to move forward. Try little by little and complete one step at a time. If you want to try speaking up in a meeting or discussion, try it with small group of friends or family. And keep on practicing it until you become comfortable.
6. Have a Plan:
Make a plan how you are going to do it so that you don’t find yourself suddenly into something that you don’t know anything about and don’t know how to move forward with it. Lay out a map of each step and start with easiest one. Know your challenges on the way and what you need to do to overcome them.
7. Hold yourself accountable:
Once you try getting out of your comfort zone, hold yourself accountable. Accountability is the most important aspect of this journey. Involve friends or family and let them know what you are trying to achieve. Having an accountability partner makes you more serious and responsible towards things.
8. Learn from Failures :
See failure as a teacher: Learn to take the blame for mistakes. No successful people have achieved so much without failures. Face your failures too. And Learn from your mistakes and failures.
9. Don’t take yourself too seriously:
A very important thing to get out of comfort zone is to don’t take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself when you make mistakes. Be happy to take on all the setbacks and failures.
10. Keep expanding your comfort zone:
Try pushing your comfort level boundaries steadily and continue to grow your boundaries. Don’t try to jump out too far but try with a step by step process and work towards expanding your comfort zone boundaries.