Wednesday 3 April 2013

Why we should all get out of our comfort zone


A few years ago I wrote a post about why it makes sense to introduce some small life changes or tackle projects that have been neglected in the spring time. It's a lot easier to motivate ourselves at this time of year when the weather is brighter and the days are longer, as opposed to the middle of winter when our new year commences. Consequently, I'm going to suggest in this post that we all take the opportunity to get out of our comfort zone!

Entering that area where we feel challenged, a little unsure, maybe even a little scared, a sense of unfamiliarity as we explore new ground is definitely good for us. It's by pushing ourselves out of our everyday ease and regularity that we can stretch our mind, body and spirit and in doing so gain new experiences, new knowledge and some excitement we perhaps didn't recognise we needed in our life.

Coincidentally, I was recently reading a Guardian article also talking about comfort zones. It gives a nice approach to how we might start to embark on some things that will take out of us our comfort zone, suggesting we draw and write out in various circles, activities we are comfortable doing, those that require some extra effort and those that we aspire to do but put off. As the article rightly states, "the idea is to expand in small steps". That's the crucial thing in my opinion.

If we are over ambitious in setting out to achieve something, the truth is, we're more likely to fail at it. If on the other hand, we start very small, we immediately make the end goal more in our reach. A small challenge is doable and encourages us to keep at it and then to move on to the next step. Once we take that first step out of our comfort zone, we often relish it and wonder why we didn't do it sooner.

I'll be honest, I could definitely be doing more to get out of my comfort zone and tend to do it in fits and starts. When we moved house at the end of last summer, I did a few things that were out of my comfort zone that I knew would be of benefit to me in the longer term. Little things like starting conversations with random mothers in the playground to try to make new friends or just to make myself feel less alone. I signed up to be one of the class reps at school because again, I thought it would be a good way to get to know the other mothers and make friends. I invited our new neighbour over as soon as we were somewhat presentable in our new home.

The funny thing is, although these examples are all of me slightly outside my comfort zone, I enjoy doing them and the path along which they take me. That's what's so great about getting out of our comfort zones, we think it's going to be a bit difficult, too much effort or whatever, but once we do it, we recognise the benefit almost straightaway and it's a good feeling.

What could you do to take yourself out of your comfort zone? Maybe you've been doing something already and can appreciate the benefit?
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photo credit

11 comments:

  1. What a super post. All too often when reading articles about 'comfort zones' I have found them to be about setting big targets, or the writer is fiercely trying to convince you to do something. Not so with your post. It is thoughtful and gentle, and very persuasive. Thank you for sharing it with us xx

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    1. Thank you for the kind words! Yes, I really think small steps is key otherwise we are easily overwhelmed and discouraged. x

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  2. I agree! Moving out of our comfort zone (I call it my 'safety zone') is best done in tiny steps that really talk to us. We need to proceed while remaining true to the person we hide deep inside otherwise it will fail. Each time I write I get out of my safety zone. And when it's published online, I run for cover. :):)

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    1. You're aboslutely right about remaining true to ourselves and I love of your example of writing as one that gets you out of your 'safety zone'. I bet you are always pleased you wrote what you did in each case though ;-).

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  3. Very good advice indeed and an excellent post! Have to confess that I'm often guilty of attempting mammoth feats, then quitting - tail between legs. I've had to scale back so much on commitments of late as I just didn't have the time to achieve anything properly. Yeah, I'm the opposite of the safety-zone-dweller, I really ought to try and spend at least some time in there once in a while ;) xx

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    1. Thank you :-). I can tell from your blog that you take on lots of challenges and are often venturing out of your comfort zone but yes, maybe smaller steps more often instead of mammoth feats would be worth a try too ;-). xx

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  4. Spot-on. I enjoyed this post. I'm almost always so happy when I make myself get out of my comfort zone. The rewards can be wonderful. I wish I could remember to do it more often.

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  5. Glad to hear you enjoyed the post and many thanks for commenting. You are quite right that the rewards of getting out of our comfort zone can be wonderful, so yes all the more reason for us to try to do it more often :-).

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  6. Well written and inspiring article. Definitely getting out of the comfort zone allows you to meet some challenges yet these can be very fruitful and rewarding experiences in the medium to long term, depending on what type of goals are being set.

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    1. Thank you Charlotte. I agree that the challenges are definitely balanced by the rewarding experiences that come as a result of stretching ourselves a little.

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  7. I like your style here Mummy Zen, a great post. I find 'getting out of my comfort zone' quite liberating, although also scary! I agree that by taking small steps, towards a greater goal, we are more likely to succeed. I started writing my blog for this reason as the mammoth task I had set myself (to become a freelance writer!) just seemed to far out of my reach. Once on the path, opportunities arise and things seems a little more achievable :)

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Thank you for reading. I'd love to have your comments and thoughts!