Sir Auditor Uviesherhe
We all love the safety of our routines because they are predictable, comforting, and easy to stick with. Because of that, you’ll hardly think about how to get out of your comfort zone. But staying in that zone quietly holds you back from immeasurable growth and massive opportunities.
We have all been there. Maybe you were too lazy to send out that proposal letter or were procrastinating on applying for that opportunity because you thought it was beyond your capabilities, only to discover it was something you could do.
This is one of the reasons many people remain stagnant at work because they hardly take up challenges. They just do what they are told to do with no initiative. Staying in your comfort zone might feel good at the moment, but it keeps you from discovering what you’re truly capable of—it does you more harm than good.
The comfort zone is where you avoid risks and allow routines to rule. It’s a cozy bubble that can stifle your dreams and potential.
But what if taking just one small step outside your comfort zone could lead to a life full of excitement and fulfillment? Do you feel capable of more but can’t take that first step?
In this article, you’ll discover seven strategies to break free from the familiar and reach your full potential. Let’s dive in if you are ready to step into the life you’ve always dreamed of.
1. Identify Your Comfort Zone Triggers: The first step to solving any problem is recognition. You must first recognize a problem before you can offer any solution to it. Hence, it’s important to recognize and identify your comfort zone triggers. Here are some ways to identify your comfort zone triggers:
a. Understand what’s holding you back: You need to understand what is holding you back. Some of these comfort zone triggers could be fear of failure, judgment, the unknown, etc. To decipher what’s holding you back exactly, you should ask yourself reflective questions like, “What opportunities do I avoid because of fear?” or “What situations make me feel safe but unfulfilled?” Questions like this will help you uncover some of your fears.
b. Exercise:
i. Keep a journal for one week and note patterns of choosing comfort over growth.
ii. For better clarity, categorize your triggers into social, emotional, and professional areas.
2. Take Tiny, Intentional Steps: Getting out of your comfort zone will take time. If you rush out of it, you’ll run back in. While taking big actions is good, taking small steps guarantees consistency. Here are some ways you can take tiny, intentional steps:
a. Break big challenges into manageable actions: You probably dread networking with people and don’t have the boldness to approach and connect with them. So, you’d rather not attend any event. But you need to connect with more people to progress in your industry. Instead of attending an event with thousands of people, why not find exclusive, small sessions so you won’t be overwhelmed by the crowd? And as you get better, you can attend bigger events.
b. Use a fear ladder: Create a step-by-step progression for tackling your fear. For example, let’s say you are afraid of public speaking. Your fear ladder can be something like this:
- Intentionally speak to a friend about a subject.
- Speak to two or more friends about that particular topic.
- Share your ideas with a small group of people.
- Volunteer to speak at an event with 100 people or more.
Can you see the progression? You start from the smallest and keep raising the bar until you get to where you want to be.
c. Take at least one action daily: Getting out of your comfort zone will remain a theory until you decide to practice it daily. The goal is to do something daily you wouldn’t normally do just to achieve what you want to do.
3. Learn to Love the Feeling of Discomfort: If you want to get out of your comfort zone, you must be comfortable with discomfort. Here are some ways you can do that:
a. Reframe discomfort as growth: Whenever you are feeling uncomfortable, it’s often a sign of growth and progress. A digital marketing consultant, Fii Stephen, once said, “Growth will cost you, but not growing will cost you more.” That is, there is a cost attached to growth. So, that discomfort you are most likely feeling is just a part of the process.
Imagine starting to learn a new skill right now; you will initially feel clumsy and overwhelmed. If you decide to stop because you couldn’t get it on your first try. You’ll most likely not learn the skill.
In the same way, a new job often feels overwhelming and uncomfortable at first, but when you stick with it, you’ll adapt and grow.
b. Practical tip: Start a discomfort diary. Write about moments you faced discomfort and what you learned from them. But the truth is, if you never face discomfort, then you are in your comfort zone.
4. Say Yes to the Unexpected: If you want to leave your comfort zone, you should be ready to embrace the unexpected. Want to learn how to do that? Read below.
a. Why saying yes matters: Unexpected opportunities can lead to significant growth. It also creates room for new experiences and connections for you. It could be accepting an invitation to speak at an event, volunteering for a challenging project at work, or even traveling to an unfamiliar place.
b. Challenge: I have one simple challenge for you if you want to come out of your shell. Say yes to one unexpected opportunity this week, no matter how small. You can decide to make it a weekly routine.
5. Build a Supportive Environment: We are all products of our environments. A major part of where we are right now is because of our environment. And when I say “environment,” I mean the people around you. Support from others makes stepping out of your comfort zone easier. It’s much easier when you are around growth-oriented individuals. They will naturally inspire you to change. Being around them and seeing their actions and results motivates you to take action too. But the question is, “How do you build a supportive environment?”
a. Join supportive environments: Join communities aligned to your goals. It could be a book club, networking group, fitness class, or mentorship program. For example, if one of your major goals is to read more books this year and apply them to create a reasonable change in your life, then you should join a growth-oriented book club. TIB Book Club is a good one. You can check them out on Facebook.
b. Last steps: Identify three friends who challenge and inspire you. Schedule regular meetups or check-ins with them and share what you are working on with them.
6. Set Audacious Goals and Break Them Down: Audacious goals are goals that scare but excite you. We are talking about stepping out of your comfort zone. That means you’ll do things you have not done before. Audacious goals include writing a book, starting a business, or running a marathon.
a. How to break down your audacious goals: First, create actionable steps. For example, let’s say you want to write a book. You can set a daily word count goal. Many legendary writers like Stephen King have tried this and it still works. You can also make it a chapter or page breakdown, whichever works for you.
Lastly, focus on the daily progress rather than the outcome. If you focus on the result, you’ll focus on the grounds you still have to cover to achieve your goal. However, focusing on your daily progress changes your focus from what you still have to cover to what you have achieved and will still do.
b. Actionable tip: One tip I have for you is to write down one big goal and break it down into smaller tasks. Then, spread the smaller tasks into days or weeks and follow your plan.
7. Celebrate the Journey, Not Just the Destination: Celebrating small wins is important in getting out of your comfort zone. It keeps you motivated, breaks fear cycles, creates momentum, and boosts your confidence. It also reminds you of how far you have come.
a. Treat yourself to something small after completing a milestone: It could be as simple as treating yourself to a favorite snack or taking a day off to relax.
b. Share your achievements with a friend or mentor: Nothing makes a good friend or mentor more proud than hearing about the amazing things you do for yourself. They are even more encouraged to support you and lend you their resources.
c. Keep a “wins “journal: Sometimes, we can be so occupied with what is lacking that we forget to see how far we have come and the wins we have accomplished over the years. With a “wins” journal, you can document every win you have ever achieved, no matter how small.
Conclusion
Growth happens outside your comfort zone. That change you are looking for is outside where you are currently. Each strategy I shared in this article can be used independently or complementarily. When used together, they help you create a lasting change. The good news is that you can always use them to leave any comfort zone you find yourself in.
But don’t leave this article without applying anything. Pick one strategy from the list and implement it. Even if it’s a small step, it’s a part of it. If you are ready to step into the life you’ve always envisioned, apply everything I taught you.
Did you learn anything? Share with your friends and acquaintances.
Add comment