It is a recurring subject; we often hear about it, there are many articles, videos, or books on the subject. So I will try to clarify the topic.

As the name doesn’t necessarily suggest, the comfort zone is not necessarily comfortable. No, what we call the comfort zone is our daily life, habits, and what we are confronted with every day, what we already know.

This zone can be both positive and negative.

Your job, your colleagues are part of this zone and Bob, the little tyrant boss or David, the super lovely colleague. Here is undoubtedly one of the major problems, you can find everything in this zone, both the “good” and the “bad.”

So finally, why do we talk about “comfort” if it is uncomfortable? Well, for a simple reason, it is not painful enough to leave it.
And yes, that’s the whole paradox, because the brain hates change, what it doesn’t know, so the idea of leaving this space doesn’t delight it, even frightens it.

The comfort zone is the inaction zone, where nothing happens, no unexpected events, no surprises, no evolution, the status quo.

However, getting out of its sphere of tranquility requires action and decision making.

If you want to know more about the comfort zone, I dedicated an entire article about it that you can find here.

Here are 10 good reasons to push yourself out of your comfort zone:

1. Live with no regret

Unlike James Bond, you only live once, and one day you won’t be here anymore, it’s a fact and an evidence for each one of us.

It’s a slightly violent approach, but it’s time to stop living as if you are immortal and realize that everything could stop tomorrow or even today.

As a world champion procrastinator, I know very well what I’m talking about, I have literally wasted years of my life living in an imaginary world: my thoughts, imagining what my life would be like if I had done this or that.

The question no longer exists today, I do what I like, I succeed, I fail, I learn and I start again.

Being aware that we only have one life, that time is precious is surely the best reminder that we are here for a limited time.

Allow yourself to explore, to discover, to love, to fail and to succeed, you will live a great life, YOUR LIFE, the one YOU have chosen.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ” Robert Louis Stevenson

2. All your dreams are beyond

You have probably already noticed that all your goals, dreams, most meaningful challenges are outside our sphere of control, beyond our fears.

If this were not the case, we would have already realized our projects because it would have been easy.

“To win without risk is to triumph without glory.” said Pierre Corneille

Ask yourself the following question: Is the regret of never trying and trying again stronger than my tranquility?

To challenge oneself depends only on us, on our choices. At any instant, we can choose to take a new path.

Will it be easy? No. Will it be successful? Maybe, maybe not. Will I live with regret and bitterness for not having tried? Without a doubt. Will I be proud to have given it all, to have done what few people do? YES definitely!

We tend to see the glass half empty, see the negative side of change. It’s time to switch minds.

I urge you to rename the discomfort zone to Zone of Progress.
Now, it’s time to follow your heart.

3. Building self-confidence

Self-confidence is created in motion; it builds up in the unknown and is strengthened in adversity.

Outside our comfort zone is the zone of development, progress, and growth. No matter how you call it, our personal development needs new things and new opportunities.

Practice makes it possible to grow, to develop new skills. It is the best way to gain self-confidence.

The goal here is to move forward through small actions to confront this boundary that divides comfort and progress and extends it every day.

Exploring our zone of discomfort is about meeting ourselves. Getting to know ourselves is the key to self-confidence, with practice.

The discomfort zone is the playground, so let’s play

The more our comfort zone expands, the larger our comfort zone becomes, the more our self-confidence builds.

4. Discovering New Horizons

Staying in the comfort zone also means always frequenting the same places, the same routes, and the same people.

Expanding our sphere of control means discovering what we don’t yet know, what we don’t even imagine.

It also means encountering new cultures, new ideas, new challenges, new goals.

It means growing inside, blossoming, marveling, maturing. It is also exploring the outside world as we have never seen it before, but above all, it is discovering ourselves.

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

5. Overcome your fears

The comfort zone means that we will have to confront our fears. Fear of the unknown? fear of change? Fear of the people’s other opinion? There are so many of them.

I can’t tell you how many times I felt trapped by my fears and doubts, but the fact that I was moving forward step by step and challenging myself as I went along made my worries less and less powerful.

Little by little, it becomes like a kind of game. You feel vibrant, alive, you move forward, and you grow.

A feeling of freedom and lightness replaces anxiety, so we keep exploring, and when we look back, the fears have gone away without even realizing it.

The important thing here is to go step by step, move forward at your own rhythm, and have the right balance between challenge and ambition.

The point is not to overcome all your fears at once. If you are afraid of the water, it is stupid to jump in the middle of the pool and be dangerous and traumatic.

Moving slowly but regularly is the key to finding your growth zone.

If you were sure you were successful, what would you be doing right now if you had no fear?

Write down everything that comes. This is where you need to go, listen. Your heart is calling you.

6. Get out of your routine

The comfort zone is a routine in itself, but not necessarily a way that suits you in which you can enjoy yourself or have fun.

If you’re reading this post, chances are you want to change something in your life.

Ask yourself the following question: what can you do differently from this point? It doesn’t have to be something great, just something different.

It could be changing your route to work, trying a new meal at your favorite restaurant, talking to someone you consider inspirational, etc.

Be creative and ask yourself the question again: What can you do differently today?

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal.” Paulo Coelho

7. It is good for your health

When you allow yourself to live fully, you get in motion, your comfort zone expands, and you live in harmony with yourself.

Joy, bliss, discoveries, all these beautiful feelings are sources of well-being, enthusiasm, and positivity.

Obviously, not everything will be smooth; sometimes, there is a failure, doubts, or bad experiences.

Still, it already exists in our safe zone. The difference here is that it’s up to us to choose the experiences we want to live, adjust to them, and keep moving forward.

You either choose to live a life full of passion, joy, accomplishment, or you decide to live in lethargy and immobility.

The choice is yours. It is our responsibility to fix it.

And you, what do you decide?

8. Improve your creativity

When we live in a routine, creativity is extinguished. It doesn’t need to exist, it doesn’t need to be challenged, there is no place for it, everything is already known, and everything has already been experienced.

The advantage of getting out of your comfort zone is that it forces you to find new solutions, change perspectives, and create a new path because you face new situations.

You can start now by asking yourself the following question:
If you made 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

You see, in the blink of an eye, ideas come up in dozens. So yes, you’re going to tell me you don’t have that money, but it doesn’t matter, because the principle is the same.

It’s time to stop making excuses and move on. Creativity starts here.

All right now, without thinking about money, what do you want to do? To discover? To explore?

Don’t set yourself any boundaries. Let your creativity decides, listen to your heart, and turn off your inner voice.

It’s exciting, isn’t it?
So imagine your daily life guided by your creativity, by your dreams, and then decide to take action, start with something that seems simple and easy to implement; no need to want to embark for March tomorrow.

Ideas inspire new ideas. Step by step, you grow a little bit every day, the rest will follow, and your creativity will blossom.

9. Meet new people

When you perpetually live in the same environment, you always meet the same people, the same ideas, the same desires, the same choices.

To continuously meet the same people is to avoid any new meetings.

However, there is nothing more exciting than meeting different people, exploring new ways of thinking, and opening up to others?

Meeting new people is a chance to grow. You can build new friendships, new business relationships, or why not find true love.

No one can know in advance what life will bring, but I am sure of one thing, being in our comfort zone all the time will only lead to monotony and boredom.

Let’s take the example of children who know how to create links with disconcerting ease; there is no question. They are open, curious, full of happiness.

As an adult, we tend to forget that we were children, full of prejudices and insecurities.

This is the time to wipe away our bad memories and let the unpredictable surprise us.

Let yourself be surprised and open up to others who know you might get to like it.

10. Become an inspiration for others

What if you became the most inspiring person around you, the one that others admire for his courage, strength, and craziness.

What if you simply make others want to do what you do?

We’ve all met people where we’ve said, “wow, I wish I could do the same.”
From the lawyer who became a baker to the buddy who took a sabbatical to go around the world, how many stories, as exciting as they are fascinating to have made us want to do the same.

And if it was you this time that made others want to do the same.

You can be a role model for your children and make them want to live life to the fullest, for your loved ones or your colleagues.

And why not to strangers at the end of the world who will follow you on the internet.

Final Words

All things considered, there is no such thing as a perfect situation where everything happens the way you want, even in your comfort zone.

We are all capable of challenging ourselves and achieving our dreams.

However, our personal growth cannot fully blossom in the inaction and routine of daily life. It is time for you to become an explorer, to live new adventures.

I hope I have made you want to push your limits. See you soon in your new life.

Happy changing, my friends.