Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone

How often have you heard, “you need to push the envelope and break out of your comfort zone.” Easier said than done. Our comfort zones are a natural place. Leaving them creates anxiety.

Yet, as Alan Henry of Lifehacker.com puts it, “Anyone who’s ever pushed themselves to get to the next level, or accomplish something, knows that when you really challenge yourself, you can turn up amazing results.” Here are a few tips on how you can reach beyond your comfort zone.

Strategize
Identify what it really is that you want to change or accomplish. Recognize the benefits. Then devise a plan. Customize it, and make it personal, looking to past experiences for evidence of your ability to succeed.

Start Small
You want to push yourself, but not to the point where you’re totally stressed out. So begin with baby steps. You need to pinpoint your fears and then face them one step at a time. Once you do, you’ll find it becomes easier to push your boundaries.

Don’t Listen To The Little Man
It’s easy to talk yourself out of the plan you’ve made. Ignore those thoughts. Recognize that you are rationalizing, and resist your own excuses to stay in your comfortable routine. Instead of rationalizing, focus on the positive reasons why you should take action.

Find A Mentor Or Coach
Engaging someone else to help you through your pursuit makes it easier to persevere. Find someone to brainstorm with, workout with, or meet with on a regular basis. They can help to gauge how you’re doing, give you advice, encourage you to keep trying, and share the experience.

Realize That It’s Okay To Fail
To succeed, you need to be willing to fail. If you feel you’ve stepped out a little too far, don’t be ashamed to admit it. It will give you the experience to approach things differently next time. Keep telling yourself, that if you don’t try, you’ll never know if you could have succeeded.

Breaking out of your comfort zone takes time, effort, strategy and determination, but the results can be extraordinary.