5 Ways to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
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“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsh
The only problem with life is that we don’t always get what we want. But it is in fact we who trap ourselves in an imaginary cage called our “comfort zone.” This is the zone where you have a fixed routine, well defined skill sets, prescribed activities and sometimes, fixed timings even. You do not want to get out of your comfort zone because it is so comfortable and you know beforehand what exactly you will get out of it. Anything that deviates from your comfort zone and requires you to be uncomfortably flexible, you tend to avoid. But the trick to lead a happy and vivacious life is to get out of your comfort zone. Unless you do things differently or do different things, you will never have lived your life to your full potential, and will have always been subjected to boredom and despair. Listed below are 5 ways to step outside your comfort zone for your own good.
1. Face your fears
The main reason why we avoid stepping out of our comfort zone is that we are too scared. We are afraid of the new things out there and do not know what they have in store for us. We are in fact scared that they might harm us or embarrass us or make a laughing stock out of us. But unless you face your fears you will never know – and never knowing is far worse than trying out and failing. At least you will not despair in future that you never even tried. When you face your fears, there is no need to go all out. Instead, take baby steps and try out one thing at a time. If you always wanted to dance, join a dance class, instead of giving in to a preconceived fear that you can never dance. The trick is to lessen your discomfort slowly and expand your comfort zone so that it eventually encompasses all that is possible for you.
2. Try something new
Our fear lies in the things unknown. That is the reason why we are so scared to delve out of our comfort zone. Unless you go out and try something new, you will never have new and refreshing experiences. You might discover something that you love! Do something you have never done before. Try something which may have always seemed weird or outlandish to you. Only then you will experience things beyond your dreams and truly enjoy life.
3. Make a new friend
The friends you hang around with define a lot of how your life experience is going to be. When you get stuck in your comfort zone, you refrain from making new friends, and believe that you will not be able to adjust and build rapport with someone from scratch all over again. But the truth is that man being a social animal is always capable of making new friends because it is both ways. The other person too will do his/her bit to build up a palpable friendship with you. So do not refrain from making new friends. Start with making one new friend and once your confidence is built, you can build a whole new friends’ circle which will also become comfortable in time.
