Outside the comfort zone
"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." When I think of getting outside of my comfort zone, I always think of a ferris wheel. I hate how unstable those machines feel. The rocking at the top when they're letting people in and out on the bottom? barf. But here's the thing about ferris wheels, if I don't push back that feeling of being uncomfortable, and want to stay on the grass where it feels safer, I miss the view on top. And it's always a beautiful view.
I'm not a risk taker. I'll never dive out of a plane for fear that I'm wearing the faulty parachute. I won't jump off cliffs or speed down a scenic highway on the back of motorcycle. I won't even color my hair purple. My comfort zone is so comfy-cozy, you guys. It's sitting in my living room in pj pants with my favorite blanket. It's talking to my best friends at a party because they're the ones that know me and love me already. It's liking peoples' posts that I admire or encouraging them when I enjoy their success. Don't get me wrong. These are all good things.But if I sit in my pj's too long, I get lazy. If I only talk to my BFFs at social events, I miss out on new friends. If I only admire the success of others, I miss my own.
There's something in humanity that loves comfort. It's how we're wired. And that's why it's so hard to let it go.
But when you do, that's where the magic happens. So what's in it for us?
1. It increases productivity. Especially if you are an entrepreneur. You can't sit and wait for business to come knocking on your door. (well maybe some can - lucky them). I have a "side-hustle" in the network marketing world. If I don't do the things that make me uncomfortable - like Facebook lives or telling people about my product. Guess what I don't get - business.
2. It makes you more creative. Doing the same thing over and over again creates stagnant thought and work. And how boring is that? When you get out of your normal, you'll actually be more likely to do it again. This makes me think of my photography. Births are not comfortable to shoot. They're amazing. But the room is dark, the clients don't exactly pose for you and sometimes the scene doesn't change for hours (and then it changes all at once). I have to stretch my creativity when I document births. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone means looking at the same situation from a different perspective. From there, innovation and creativity is birthed.
3. It'll help you grow. There's a pretty good chance that with doing something new, you're going to fail. We tell our boys all the time, they need to fail because if they aren't failing, they aren't trying. But here's what's great. We take what we learned from the mistakes, we adjust it a little and we try again, and we GROW.
What does getting out of your comfort zone look like to you? Maybe its a hip-hop class or yoga. Maybe its going to church when you haven't been in 10 years. Maybe it's starting up a new business or a new blog and announcing it on the internet. Maybe it's extending a helping hand to the homeless. Whatever it is to you. Start it today.
You don't have to physically step into your first hip hop class today, but start looking up dance studios. Then tomorrow call them, then the next day tell a friend (preferably an encouraging one) that you're thinking of going. maybe she'll even go with you! Then, by the end of the week, GO. You don't have be the next back up dancer for Beyonce. You just have to GO. And with that move, with that bravery and courage, you'll be changed. And more than likely you'll say, "That wasn't as scary as I thought. Why did I wait so long?"
