Neale Donald Walsch said “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” . I love this idea, that the real gold, the value in our life comes from stepping beyond where we are comfortable.
It can be easier said than done, particularly in challenging times, but actually that’s when we need to do it the most. The comfort zone is a great place to relax and recharge but if you want to be bold and find out what you are really made of sometimes its important to step out!
The process of stepping out of your comfort zone links to the change curve as that is what we are doing, we are changing and expanding our mindset and abilities. There are a set of stages we go through, at varying speeds depending on the situation, but at the end the ‘pay off’ is always worth it!
- I can’t believe I am doing this – stepping out feels uncomfortable at first so in some situations we give up at the first stage pretending we never even tried. Its worth continuing though.
- Why on earth did I think this was a good idea? – doing something new and different can present challenges and leave us frustrated, but if we keep going we can get through this.
- I really don’t want to do this – sometimes we just want to give up, we feel low and wish we had never started the change. Trust me though the light at the end of the tunnel is on its way.
- Hang on a moment this isn’t as bad as I thought – the turning point, when if we are self aware we start to notice things feel a little more comfortable. A great start but even better is to come.
- What if I tried this as well? – we are starting to engage with the changes and explore what else could be done. It’s an empowering place to be.
- I am so glad I did this, what else could I do? – the reward for being bold, stepping out of your comfort zone, you feel amazing. A great time to take another step if you ask me!
So if you are thinking about expanding your comfort zone, to build your confidence for any part of your daily life, do it ! By stepping out of your comfort zone are building your resilience, your ability to evolve and thrive in any situation, so no matter what……You Have Got This!
Alison Burgess