Issue 90: Your Comfort Zone
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 90 | YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
THINK
Judith Bardwick defines the comfort zone as, “a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.”
To put it simply - the comfort zone is the psychological state in which we feel safe. Here, we feel comfortable, secure and in control: we know the routine, how to behave and what to do. If we’re happy with that, we don’t look to leave - there are few risks, no anxiety and predictable outcomes. The comfort zone isn’t a bad place, but it does limit growth and reward.
If you’re looking to lead, to make a difference or to have an impact, you will need to move out of your comfort zone and towards the growth zone. Here, you will achieve more and experience far greater fulfilment. Then, you can choose more ambitious new goals for yourself.
There are several zones to pass through on your way from comfort to growth. It is normal to experience fear as you do this - fear is often a necessary step on the way to the learning and growth zones.
It takes courage to step from the comfort zone into the fear zone. You may feel anxious
because you can’t draw on previous experience, but if you persevere long enough to enter the learning zone, you’ll gain new skills and have the resources to deal with challenges. After a learning period, a new comfort zone is created, expanding your ability to achieve more. This is what it means to be in the growth zone.
Moving into the growth zone is difficult without a level of self-awareness. Think about a time you were asked to do something completely new, beyond your experience or skills.
- How did you react?
- Were you excited by the prospect of learning something new?
- Or did you feel stressed and overwhelmed?
- Now consider your current situation and answer the following reflection questions.
- Are you content with your current professional situation, or do you feel a sense of restlessness and desire for change?
- Do you find yourself settling for mediocrity, for ‘good enough’?
- Have you stopped pushing yourself to achieve more in your current situation?
- Are your days predictable and routine? How does that make you feel?
FEEL
The comfort zone fulfils our need for certainty and we often stay stuck to avoid feelings of angst, stress and pain. A move outside the comfort zone creates uncertainty, and uncertainty makes us feel anxious.
We are often held back by a fear of failure, sure that we don’t have what it takes, we aren’t good enough and we’ll be exposed as inadequate, unworthy or unlovable. Use the questions below to reflect on the feelings that come up for you when taking on a new challenge.
- Do you feel it is difficult for you to step into the unknown and tackle new challenges?
- Does the uncertainty of leaving your current space cause fear?
- Do you feel affected by the opinions of others?
- Do you find excuses to avoid feeling those feelings?
- Do you lack self-confidence?
In a 2013 Forbes article about taking risks, bestselling author Margie Warrell shares three questions to ask in order to overcome a tendency to play it safe and to aid in identifying which risks are worth taking:
- What would I do if I were being more courageous?
- How will inaction cost me one year from now if I do nothing?
- Where is my fear of failure causing me to overestimate the size of risk, under-estimate myself and holding me back from taking risks that would serve me?
DO
Look for areas of your life in which a fear of being uncomfortable is holding you back. Ask yourself:
- Where do I need to break out of my comfort zone?
- Where is courage calling me to:
- Risk a rejection
- Be decisive amid the uncertainty
- Speak up and have a brave conversation
- Say ‘no’ even though it may cause disappointment
- Embrace my vulnerability and share my truth with someone who deserves to hear it
- Stop making excuses and pursue the goal that inspires me most deeply (even though it also scares me half to death)
Do not wait to feel fearless before you create a shift. Playing it safe can provide a short-term sense of security, but in the long run it can be the greatest risk of all. Today, make the decision not to let fear hold you back. Not because you need to prove anything, but to honour yourself and realise your full capability.
Here’s a few practical mindset tools to support you in leaving your comfort zone…
Reframe Stress
Physiologically, there’s little difference between anxiety and excitement. Both include a ‘stress response’, but whether they’re perceived as positive or negative is a matter of how you label them.
Remember Neuroplasticity
When we learn something new, we create new connections between our neurones. We rewire our brains to adapt to new circumstances, which means less courage is needed to move away from comfort.
Prioritise
Identify the areas of your life where being too comfortable does more harm than good and start with those first.
Small Steps
It’s okay to take small, methodical steps before you opt for larger ones - leaving behind the comfort zone doesn’t mean being reckless. View every step forward as progress.
Do Everyday Things Differently
You can break out of old, comfortable routines by doing everyday things differently. For example, if you usually have screens on during dinner, try turning them off, go for a walk when you’d normally relax or make time for stillness each day. You can even try taking ‘comfort’ foods out of your diet.
Challenge Your Beliefs
Simple activities like reading a different style of book, talking to new people or travelling somewhere different will present alternative perspectives and enable you to challenge old, firmly entrenched beliefs.
Remember - if you only do what’s comfortable, you deprive yourself of what’s possible.
