The comfort zone experience indeed puts us in that comfortable position in which our ability and determination are not being tested. The more we feed our comfort zone, the more we starve ourselves of creativity, innovation, and progress. But, we can break free, and start to make changes to our daily routine, learn something new, face our fears, and up our game.
If you look back into the past years and all you see are things you could have done differently, like having that bachelor in IT/Communications or learning new skills in Content Marketing, Graphic Design, Entrepreneurship, etc. that could have moved your life ahead or required for that promotion, then you are in a place where your ability or determination is not being tested. That is a comfort zone experience.
While most people don’t realize that they are in their comfort zone, they sit down and sleepover those ideas they never achieved or are afraid of making a move for. In the university, for example, students make excuses about poor grades in their semester’s exams or failure in university’s courses, while other people are moving around making first class and second class grades.
While most people are comfortable with what they already know, they rob themselves of the opportunity to meet new people, people that could take them to a new level in their different courses, career, or that could connect them to new opportunities. The comfort zone, therefore, can cost you new skills and knowledge; rob you of your purpose and passion, and finally of your growth.
What you need to break free of the comfort zone experience:
- First, you may need to recognize your position. What have you been doing lately to better your position in the university’s courses, job, career, or that person you want to become. It’s time to pick be focused, show some determination, and delegate some time a day doing something about it.
- Second, try new things and be consistent with them. For example, you want to be a Graphics Designer; what kind of designs do you want to specialize in? What do you need to start doing now? Any IT subjects in particular? If you had started before, why did you give up? Did you ask for help from a professional? Unless we answer these questions, we will be jumping from one thing to another.
- Third, you must not accept excuses. People who make excuses are those who allow fear to drown their capability. That you are not there yet doesn’t mean you’ll never get there. Fail, but try again and keep working harder.
- Finally, have a personal goal and development plan and stay committed to it. No procrastination on that big idea, just DO it!