The quest to find our comfort zone starts at birth. As babies, we crave the comfort of a warm blanket, a pacifier, or soothing music. We graduate to yearning for the comfort of a parent’s touch, a soft pillow, a warm bath or a cozy bed. I suppose we are trying to replicate the tranquility and security of the womb in our new world. This instinct is ingrained in our human psyche and has been instilled in us over millions of years. As we move through our lives, this desire to seek comfort continues to impact our decisions and our lifestyle. In fact, if you ask most people what their goals are in retirement, they will tell you: “I just want to be comfortable”. While having a comfortable life for ourselves and our family is a noble goal, the path to this goal can only be achieved by living outside our comfort zone.
The harsh reality is that our comfort zone is a place where creativity goes to die. It is a place where careers go to die. It is ultimately a place where our dreams go to die. If we want to be resilient workers, and we want to reach our true potential, we must crave life outside our comfort zone! I realize that is easier said than done. After all, we are fighting millions of years of evolution. But the only way to become the person you were meant to be, is to stretch beyond what you thought was ever possible. The truly thrilling moments in life happen when we don’t know the outcome of the story. That is one reason why America is fascinated with sports. Athletes constantly stretch beyond their comfort zones and push their bodies and their minds to the brink of exhaustion. They have no idea if this will lead to victory, defeat, fame, or injury. But they lay it all on the line and willingly march into the great unknown. Resilient workers need to adopt this same mentality! If we go about our daily routine without any critical thinking or without taking risks, we can be certain how our day will end. We can be certain how our lives will end. But what will we have really accomplished? The path to resiliency and a bolder life starts outside our comfort zone.
A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown–Denis Waitley
At the age of 29, I decided to leave my cushy sales job on the East Coast and pursue my dream of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. My wife and I risked everything and moved out to California–about as far outside our comfort zone as possible. Once out there, I had to swim with sharks and fight to get ahead in a world I knew little about. My wife had to find a new job and make new friends without any family nearby to fall back on for support. So did this bold chapter in our lives end with fame and fortune? Well, no (I’m still just an Average Joe with a license to blog). But even though it was an incredibly difficult time and a financial bust, we still look back on those days as among the happiest in our young lives. Why? Because that experience taught us that stepping outside our comfort zone could deliver excitement and self-assurance we never thought possible. Today, there is no situation that scares us or causes us to be timid because we know what is like to operate without a safety net. Even if it does not end well, leaving your comfort zone will give you the confidence and fearlessness to keep trying until you get it right.
Let’s start putting some of these thoughts into practice. Comfortable sending an e-mail to a new prospect? Try picking up the phone! Been planning to learn a new skill but haven’t felt the urgency? Do it today! Feeling secure in your current role? Strive for more responsibility and a promotion! Thinking about something can only get you so far. Put something on the line and take action! Don’t be afraid to fail. Embrace the unknown. Regardless of the outcome, you will feel invigorated and refreshed. More importantly, you will learn that, despite our human nature, living outside our comfort zone can be an incredibly rewarding place.
Rewrite your life starting today. Just don’t write the finish. There is no telling how this story will end.
Until next week, keep smiling!
Rob