Many people are ‘stuck’ in a comfort zone, running on a tedious treadmill of life, not content but they get by. Too afraid to move on, they stick to what they know best because it feels safe and secure and they feel comfortable.
A comfort zone can be described as a situation or position in which a person feels secure, comfortable or in control. When we push beyond our fear of leaving a comfortable place it can have a far reaching effect on our lives.
If you are too comfortable you are not as productive or as innovative as you could be. However, if you are too uncomfortable, you are also not productive so you need to find your optimal level of anxiety (the state whereby you are stretching yourself but not such that it becomes too stressful). To do this you need to reach a level where you are pushing yourself to increase your skills and performance and become comfortable with that new level of anxiety.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with staying in your comfort zone if that is what you want, doing so will not enable you to achieve your full potential. If you are constantly feeling unchallenged, bored, distracted, constantly watching the clock at work and wishing the time away, this could be because you are stuck in a comfort zone.
Do you want to feel more empowered, more challenged and take your career or business up to the next level or beyond? If yes, you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Regularly taking ourselves out of our comfort zone enables us to grow in confidence. It is very empowering to take on the challenge of doing something new.
Many people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone because of a fear of failure. However, this fear may be unfounded and could be due to worrying about the worst possible outcome which may or may not even happen. If this applies to you, are you willing to take a risk or do you plan to carry on living a life that leaves you unchallenged, bored and unhappy?
If you do not feel able to take a big leap, start with baby steps. Do something on a regular basis that you would not normally do, something that challenges you and the thought of which leaves you feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Do this regularly and as your confidence improves, take bigger and bolder steps.
For help in stepping out of your comfort zone, contact me here or email carol@aboundingsolutions.com.
If you need a confidence boost to help you step out of your comfort zone, register to attend my FREE confidence building workshop for women on 26th August 2014. Click here for details.
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