Comfortably Uncomfortable

 

 

 

 

 

Filled with predictability and habitual routines, our comfort zones are a place in which familiarity is the norm and we operate with a sense of confidence, knowing that we are capable of handling every task or situation that may arise. Essentially, we live in a state of metal security.

Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

Don’t be so easily fooled…

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is great news if you are content with your current lifestyle. However, if you’re driven to excel, being satisfied within your comfort zone severely limits your ability to pursue a life worth living.

You see, the problem is that comfort zones act as an anchor – they immobilise progression, limit our beliefs and restrain us from taking action in events that we know will only be for our long-term benefit.

So why is it that we choose to remain within their boundaries?

It’s simple. Humans are creatures of comfort, and it is far easier for us to stick to what we know than it is to risk doing something that challenges us. And this the exact reason why many never fulfil their full potential.

In a sense, it’s easy to see how we can become disillusioned into thinking we are content with our current life – the majority of us are fortunate enough to have a job, food, water and a roof over our head, and therefore we never experience enough intrinsic pain to force us to take action and change our circumstances.

However, humans are possessive beings by nature, and deep down we all constantly yearn for more of what we don’t have: to be happier, healthier, richer, or to have more success. The perplexing thing, however, is that even though we are predisposed to seek this continual growth, most of us choose to live in the confinements of our comfort zones, simply because it is easier to do so.

Evidence of this can be seen all throughout society.

It astounds me how many people I see who are clearly unhappy with their jobs or relationships, yet they continue to complain and never take action toward changing their situation. Personally, I believe it’s not so much that people don’t strive to live a more fulfilling existence, but the problem lies in the fact that they are frightened of change. They perceive it’s too difficult or scary to step out into the unknown and because of this, they coast through life on autopilot, forever at effect to the world around them.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be like this.

Throughout history there have been countless examples of people who have come from nothing to now forge a life many are envious of – names such as Steve Jobs, J.K. Rowling and Oprah Winfrey are just some of those who have establish themselves as some of the most successful in their respective fields.

Believe it or not, these people are not cut from a different cloth than you and me. They just simply just expected more from themselves, and as a result, they were not content living a mundane existence.

So, what did they do to ensure they wouldn’t?

It’s simple – they forced themselves to take action.

They formed the habit of constantly pursuing situations that would take them far outside their comfort zones, and because of this, the opportunities to succeed presented themselves.

So there you have it, the key to accomplishing everything you desire – attack the situations that challenge you.

You must realise, however, that this is much easier said then done. You cannot take such action without conscious effort and it will take a degree of self discipline to change your mindset so that it works in your favour.

However once you do, you will be enlightened by the results. Regardless of the outcome, you realise that the thought of partaking in the task was MUCH worse than actually doing it. Therefore, whether you fail or succeed is irrelevant, since either way you generate reference experiences which will lead you on a pathway to a better you and a better life.

The feelings that spawn from undertaking tasks that challenge you are like none other, and once you form the habit of continually doing so you start to see the world in a different light: one in which the confinements of your comfort zone now bore and frustrate you.
More importantly, you realise that successful people are not a special breed and that if you discipline yourself and condition your mind, you can achieve anything you desire.

Each of us are the sole architects of our own destiny. We are all born with unlimited potential and therefore there is no excuse NOT to pursue greatness. 

So go ahead: take a risk, make yourself uncomfortable and reap the rewards of a life you can be proud of.

 

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
– Neale Donald Walsch