Skip to main content

Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Getting stuck in a routine is easy to do. After all, we’re creatures of habit. We eat the same breakfast every morning, order the same coffee at Starbucks and get to work at the same time.
But for entrepreneurs, playing it safe could be curtailing business success. When’s the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and took on a new challenge?
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, therapist and author of Better Than Perfect, says people who regularly seek out fresh experiences tend to be more creative and emotionally resilient than those who remain stuck in routine.
“Breaking your own mold can only make you stronger and more confident to reach higher levels in your professional and personal life,” she says.
Innovation, she says, happens when we step outside our comfort zone. Being stagnant in routine often results in plummeting creativity. “In order to be more creative, you have to try new things, see things in a new way, put pieces together in a new manner,” she says.
What holds most of us back from stepping out of our comfort zone, however, is fear. “We have such a huge fear of failure in our society,” says Lombardo. Any new skill always feels awkward and stressful at first, but the more you do it, the more comfortable it will be. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, Lombardo says, is the key to overcoming this fear.
Here’s how to step out of your comfort zone:

Do it on a regular basis

In order to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, you need to step out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. “The more comfortable you get with trying new things, the less you’re going to avoid it and the more you’re going to say yes to new challenges,” says Lombardo. 

Start small

You don’t have to throw your entire routine out the window to step out of your comfort zone. Try taking small steps, like driving a different route to work or even moving your desk to a different location. These can help you to get comfortable with the discomfort that comes from trying something new.

Reinterpret your fear

In order to overcome your fear of trying something new, Lombardo recommends re-framing those feelings of fear as feelings of excitement and opportunity. When viewed in this positive light, those butterflies in your stomach will soon be seen as welcoming rather than something that you seek to avoid.

Look for a challenge

“Doing something that challenges you gives you a whole different outlook and makes you more receptive to change,” says Lombardo. When you take on something challenging, you experience an endorphin rush and often feel recharged afterwards.  

Focus on the why

Having a mission statement of why you’re stepping out of your comfort zone can help you overcome the fear of doing it. Lombardo recommends writing out the benefits of doing the activity, such as “to build courage” or “to become more creative.” Looking at the why when you start to get stressed out can help bring down your stress levels and make it easier to accomplish the task.

Comments

Readers Choice

Lead Your Team Into a Post-Pandemic World

During the Covid-19 crisis, I’ve spoken with many CEOs who have shared that a key priority for them, naturally, has been the safety and well-being of their employees. And there are many examples of inspiring actions taken by CEOs and companies in support of their employees. But as we’ve come to recognize that this crisis will last more than a few short weeks, companies are now defining their approach for the long haul. I’ve seen two crucial ideas take hold with corporate leaders. One: Given the magnitude of the shock and the challenges that this crisis represents, companies must consider the full breadth of their employees’ needs as people. Safety is essential, of course, but it’s also important to address higher-level needs such as the want for truth, stability, authentic connections, self-esteem, growth, and meaning in the context of the crisis. Two: Many CEOs have begun thinking about this crisis in three phases. They may assign different names or specific lengths to t

List of Cloud Certifications

Cloud certifications and Cloud computing certifications are very young, but their value grows so fast. Managers and IT specialist want to extend their knowledge about neutral cloud topics, but also vendor-specific implementations. Few of them, like Arcitura Education with the CloudSchool program, CompTIA or EXIN created vendor neutral certifications. The biggest vendors like VMware, HP, EMC, Microsoft and IBM have in their portfolio also Cloud certifications, that help you prove your skills about products and technologies. On the horizon we can see other vendors like Huawei or Cisco with new certifications. Strong cloud skills are for sure a good trend for companies (on the management level) and also engineers or IT architects. List of Cloud Certifications 52 Certifications 13 Vendors Amazon AWS Amazon AWS has in the offer three certifications and works on new ones. At this moment you can pass exams on associate level for architects, developers and SysO

4 Ways Google Search Can Help You Achieve Your Marketing Goals

Google Ads Google Ad extensions are a great way to add key descriptive text without taking up space in your actual ad and improve your quality score for even better results. It’s a win-win right? Google Maps Is your business discoverable on Google Maps? For small businesses, adding detailed information and the use of strategic keywords can be helpful for a better location optimization. Google Ranks SEO is vital for moving up in Google rankings. To climb up the ladder, incorporate top keywords in page titles, meta tags and focus on consistently delivering relevant content. Backlinking If SEO is the the only strategy you have, it is the right time to change that. Start adding backlinks to your content. Quality backlinks can further increase your brand authority.