What if I told you I’d give you $1,000 to make an important public speech? Would you take the offer? Like most of us, you probably recoiled immediately at the idea, even though it could be lucrative for you! Why didn’t this idea appeal to you?
When the very thought of certain activities evokes fear or anxiety within you, it’s because they’re outside your comfort zone. Public speaking, for example, is outside most people’s comfort zone.
Your comfort zone is the sphere of activities that you feel comfortable with and that you can accomplish without negative emotions. It also includes people, places, and things that cause only positive thoughts within you.
How Important is Your Comfort Zone?
Your comfort zone can limit your capabilities and cause you to forsake your dreams and goals, or it can spur you on to great things. In fact, your comfort zone can determine both your personality and your potential for success.
Many successful people achieve their goals because they have the ability to expand their comfort zone in order to get what they want.
If you wish to expand your comfort zone, you can mentally condition yourself to be comfortable in new situations so you can overcome your anxiety, achieve your goals, and fulfill your dreams.
Here are some tips you can use to expand your comfort zone and help fight your anxiety about certain situations:
- Understand your mindset. Mental conditioning plays a large role in developing your comfort zone. This means that how we form our comfort zones begins in our own mind.
Each of us already has preconceived notions of what may be comfortable and what may not be, and we designate mental guidelines to keep us within our comfort zone.
- You have chosen your own comfort zone boundaries! Knowing your boundaries is the first step to being able to expand them.
- Disobey some of your self-imposed rules. If you want to expand your comfort zone, you must let yourself loose from the guidelines you impose on yourself. Breaking some of these rules will allow you to seek new experiences that can bring you greater success!
- Consider the true risk of a situation. It’s important to know what the true risks are, as opposed to what you feel (or fear) may occur. Knowing the difference can enable you to overcome your limitations.
- Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort level. Many times, we are our own worst enemy when it comes to boundaries and limitations. There are times when you’ll have to push yourself to get where you want to be. In these instances, you must meet the challenge to leave your comfort zone.
- When stepping outside your comfort zone brings you success, you’ll find that the benefits are well worth the effort!
Whenever you try something for the first time, you’re bound to be a little uncomfortable. We’re all conditioned to fight change and stay in our comfort zones. You may have to remind yourself that only you can push yourself to step outside the box.
Be patient, be aware of your self-imposed limitations, and try things in small steps at a time. This way your comfort zone will expand at a gradual, comfortable pace, and your fears and anxieties will subside as you gain positive experiences.
Keep your dreams in sight! Expanding your comfort zone may be all it takes to achieve your goals and live the life you dream of.
One of the first things you must do is know what your goals are and what they will mean to you once you achieve them. You can start doing this by requesting the PDF “Moving Out of My Comfort Zone Goals”. This downloaded and fillable PDF contains questions that can help you set S.M.A.R.T. Goals that move you out of your comfort zone and get you on the path to a better life.
You can download two PDFs, one that you can print and fill-in and a second that can be filed-in on-line. To request the 2 PDFs just fill in you name and email address below.
If you want even more help in setting goals and moving towards your best life ever, you can contact me at michael@youaresuccesslifecoach.com and we can set up a 30-minute strategy call to discuss your situation and how we can work together to move you into a new phase of your life.
Remember that nothing happens until you take action. So fill in the information above or call me and take that first step towards a better, more fulfilling life.
To your success
Michael W
P.S. The cost of doing nothing is more of the same in your life with frustration and a feeling of not knowing if your life could be better. You can start the process of change by requesting the PDFs or contacting me now.
P.P.S. If you think that your fears are holding you back, then this book may help:
“Overcome Your Fear and Become More Successful”
People who succeed in life are people who take risks. Many rich people often lose large fortunes on the chances that they take, but they keep going because the next risk may pay off. If you continually listen to your amygdala or “lizard brain” you cannot be successful because you will also give in to your fear.
Instinct tells us to run and flee from risk. We are programmed to fight change and run away from challenges.
These reactions are so deep in our programming that they are not going to change overnight, but they can be changed. It also won’t be easy but it can be done.
You reprogram the amygdala a little bit every time you conquer your fear. You don’t want it to go away completely, we still need it for those times when we really are in danger. But we need to listen to it only when needed, when we face real danger.
Feature photo usage: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
