It’s very interesting to see how someone’s comfort zone can adapt and grow over time, and how comfort zones alternate between different people. For example, most people would think of a busy commercial kitchen as anything but a comfort zone to relax in, but for the practiced head chef who has spent dozens of hours behind the stove already, this place is where they feel most themselves, most relaxed, and most attentive, even in the middle of a busy service.
As you can see, a comfort zone is not necessarily a limited space, but an area or a set of behaviors you become accustomed to. It’s amazing how easily a comfort zone can fall away if you add a little novelty, also. For example, you might go on a comforting morning hike every day, but if you decide to follow your route in the reverse direction tomorrow, all of a sudden it can feel different and unusual.
This demonstrates an important fact – if you want to grow and develop, you have to look outside of your comfort zone. But of course, doing so is by its very nature uncomfortable, and so it’s no wonder many people ignore this vital pursuit.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to motivate yourself to follow that journey, inspired by the novelty of a new direction. Without further ado, please consider:
Take The Road You Didn’t Think You Could Travel
A common phrase is to “take the road less traveled” when it comes to enjoying an inspiring life, but there’s no shame or harm in following a path that has been walked by someone else. Why? Because a new experience to you is a new experience, no matter what other people have come before you. Climbing Mount Everest is hardly going to be less of an ordeal simply because other people have done it before you, after all.
As such, instead of taking the road less traveled, it’s good to take the road you never assumed you could travel, to begin with. For example, you may know that you want to exercise, and you want to become better at defending yourself with more personal resilience. You could head to the gym and do the workout routine, which would be a great idea. But what about heading to your local boxing gym and wearing Hayabusa Premium Boxing Gear to help format your new hobby?
Here you may surprise yourself with how new, novel and exciting this experience is, surrounded by people trying to do the best for themselves also. You may never have classed yourself as a martial artist, but now you’re doing it, you’ve surprised yourself.
Take Responsibility
Many people think it takes a special, natural-born leader to take the helmet by the horns and assume responsibility where it’s needed, but that’s not always the case. After all, many people who have never had leadership experience before become perfectly capable of parenthood when they find themselves thrust into it, even if they had never expected they could look after a brand new human life to such a degree. It’s just that the motivation to do right by their child is more important than any self-doubt they once had.
It could be that you, yourself, are due this kind of opportunity. Taking responsibility for a project at work, or finally working on your health journey by tracking calories and investing in an exercise bike, these efforts showcase your priorities and your willingness for change. Again, you may even surprise yourself how well you do if you only give yourself a little push.
Volunteer For New Experiences
Too often we can think of a transactional approach to life – such as only replying to certain friends if they put the effort in, only working hard if we’re being paid for it, and only returning favors if we know they would be given to us.
Of course, sometimes that approach can be healthy and even necessary to balance your time appropriately and keep good people in your life. But the truth is, to really go out of your comfort zone, it’s healthy to give all of yourself to something you require nothing back from. That can show you the value of service and dedication to a cause you care about.
That might simply involve litter-picking in your neighborhood now and again with a local group, planting trees for a local conservation effort, or volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless. You’re not just doing this for nothing however, you’ll also get great experience at putting yourself in new environments and practicing a selfless approach to helping others. If there’s anything that can grant you resilience, it’s this.
With this advice, you’re sure to chase personal growth through the healthiest format you can.
