Getting Out of Comfort Zone

Now it is time to get out of your comfort zone. If you want to grow then leave your comfort zone. Growth lies outside the growth zone. We all hear this advice around us, don’t we? It at times seems intimidating to step out of what we are comfortable with. In fact Comfort zone itself is so comfortable that getting out of it seems impossible but good news is if you decide to do so, stepping out is much easier then it seems to be.

Topics covered in this article are:

1. Comfort Zone
2. Why the need to leave comfort zone
3. Growth Zone
4. How to shift from Comfort Zone to Growth Zone
5. Challenges in leaving your Comfort Zone

Comfort Zone::

We all leave in a bubble where there is a set routine and are comfortable with our daily task. Everyday we get up and do the same things. Comfort Zone is defined as a settled method of working that requires little effort and yields only barely acceptable results. Doing same things everyday gives you the same results, doesn’t it?

Advantages of Comfort Zone:

1. Comfortable
2. Effortless Life
3. Need not face your fears
4. Less stress and anxiety

Disadvantages of Comfort Zone:

1. No Growth
2. Minimum Results
3. Holding Back
4. No new learnings
5. Unable to expand your comfort zone

In Comfort zone we give excuses to do something beyond our limits. It is basically the fear that does not allow us to take risks. In comfort zone our self confidence is bit low and getting outside comfort zone is scaring us more. Here we get affected a lot by others opinions.

The Need to Leave Comfort Zone::

All the Growth starts at the end of your comfort zone – Tony Robbins.

Doing same things every day and expecting different results is Insanity quoted by Albert Einstien. This means exceptional results lie in doing things differently which is getting out of comfort zone, facing your fears or doing uncomfortable things. How would you feel when someone ask you to expand your bubble, increase your area of comfort? Have you seen what other side of the bubble looks like?

Growth Zone::

Growth Zone lies out side your bubble. This is the place which is full of opportunities along with the threat. Concurring threat and fears to grab opportunity and growing beyond your comfort zone is what Growth Zone is all about. This is definitely not easy but if the fears are defeated then emerges the unexpected results. All the successful people always are in growth zone, they challenge their limits every day welcome new opportunities in their life.

Advantages of Growth Zone:

1. Maximum Results
2. Increased Self Confidence
3. More Courage
4. Everyday Learning Different Skills
5. Expanded Comfort Zone

Disadvantages of Growth Zone:

1. Facing Fears
2. More stress
3. Not comfortable

 Ideas to set the tone of leaving Comfort Zone::

1. Set A Goal: Set a goal that is something very meaningful for you, something that you wanted to do always and for some reasons you are not able to work through it. The goal might seem difficult to achieve but very excited once you fulfil it. The higher the excitement in your goal, more you have the need to fulfil it.

Key Point:: Everybody has some wishes and desires in their life, if we dig deeper within us we would realize that we all want to do something in life. The idea here is to identify that one thing and set a goal around it. This will keep you motivated to do it.

2. Start Small: Take one small and easy doable action step that is towards your goal or hobby or passion. Make a point to take this step everyday. The key here is to stay consistent in your action step and on regular basis assess it if it is towards your goal.

Key Point::  Taking first small step will be easy and less overwhelming and achieving it will seem busy. After that step is over, the next small step can be taken the idea is to do small things everyday which will eventually become big without our realization.

3. Learn a New Skill: Learning new skill also requires lot of efforts and sometime we need to do things out of our comfort to acquire that skill. This also help you to expand you bubble and take you towards growth.

4.Change your Routine: Doing something other then routine also requires lots of efforts and makes our mind more flexible to do different things. Changing routine thus allows us to do things differently then our regular work taking us towards growth zone.

Steps from Comfort Zone to Growth Zone::

Between Comfort Zone and Growth one there will be two more Zones that will come which we have to pass by.

1. Comfort Zone:: In this Comfort zone you some how gather courage to expand this and decide to do something that is unusual or difficult for you. Here you set a plan to do that. It could be as simple as starting to exercise everyday or taking music class or taking up a difficult job.
2. Fear Zone:: You will enter this zone as soon as you leave your comfort zone.
   1. In this zone you may lack confidence, you will doubt your capability to do the task or achieve it. In case of taking music class you may think I cannot do it, this is not my cup of tea, even with less trials you may feel like giving up.
   2. Low Confidence will be followed by giving excuses, it would seem easy to leave then to carry on. Here will start the chain of excuses, I cannot exercise, for me getting up early is so tough, music and me is next to impossible, this job is not for me.
   3. And more to your dismay, others opinion will affect a lot. What others will say, will matter you and you might take decisions based on their opinion without thinking over it by yourself.
   4. Focus is on problems, here you are unable to look for solutions as the focus on problem is so much that you are unable to look through it and find a way out.
   5. And there will be some stressand emotions swirling up as the discomfort at times is unbearable if not regulated well.
3. Learning Zone:: If you are able to stay in fear zone and fight with your demons, you start gaining confidence and feel in control with your emotions, then you enter in learning zone This is the zone where you
   1. Face Challenges and Problems: You start accepting the challenges that you face in your new zone and are ready to take it over. You become more solution oriented and look for various ways to solve the problem.
   2. Acquire new skills: You understand that solving problems and doing difficult things require new skills and you are up to acquiring them. You focus a lot on learning and enhancing yourself.
   3. Extend Comfort Zone:: Thus by facing challenges, finding solutions and learning new skills lets you to expand your comfort zone.
4. Growth Zone:: Once your current bubble expands you enter in growth zone, here you are comfortable with new you and in this zone you do various things that are very different then that in comfort zone
   1. You discover your life purpose and are now on the journey to meet this purpose and are ready to do what it takes to work towards their purpose. You get  comfortable in doing the uncomfortable.
   2. Live Dreams:: Now you are on journey to work towards your dreams. You start taking risks, conquer the fear and reach new heights.
   3. Set New Goals:: You are now in the habit of setting new goals, climbing the next ladder and achieving that.

Challenges in Moving to Growth Zone and How to Deal with them::

1.Pushing Yourself beyond your boundaries in Comfort Zone :

Comfort Zone gets so comfortable that getting out of it seems a difficult task. It is like changing the direction of a river, which happens only when there is a wall in the front or in case of some storm. Coming out of comfort zone requires such huge effort.

How to Deal With It: Look for advantages outside your comfort zone, what you have missed out. Remind yourself of time when you have dealt with difficult times and emerged as a winner. If you could do that time, then it can be done. Gather some courage within you, you can take support of your friends ands family to help you work through this.

2.Sustaining in Fear Zone:: Fear Zone is like a fierce sea that you have to cross to reach the other end which is growth zone. Fear Zone brings in fear of judgement, fear of rejection, fear of failure. It leads to procrastination and lame excuses. You feel as if you are surrounded by problems and the road is dead end. Dealing with this zone is very crucial. This may seem difficult but not all impossible, because everybody goes through this, we all have overcome our fears sometime in our life.

How to Deal With it:: Believe in yourself, deal with your emotions, stay in touch with your mentor or support system. A famous person said that a Quote which said “This too shall pass” helped him to go through rough patch of his life and helped him to gather courage and stand like a tough wall against all odds.