The "Comfort Zone"
Have you every wondered how some folks have been able to do so much with so little? I have often asked myself this question over the years. Our society calls them the “extraordinary” or even “over achievers”. Maybe that’s true, but what about them makes them so great? Are they smarter? Work harder? Maybe even have a “god given gift” that has allowed them to beat out the competition in whatever endeavor they have achieved massive success. I have looked at and drawn inspiration from such folks such as Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Michael Jordan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the list goes on. I think many of us can look to this people and draw something valuable from their character, initiatives, and values.
Of all the things that make successful people tick, I believe it comes down to one major factor. All successful people in this world have found a way to push themselves PAST THEIR COMFORT ZONES. This goes back to my previous post on facing fears. Your comfort zone can also be what I describe as your “Familiarity Zone”. In this zone, you have the things that you have become accustomed to such as friends, family, work, skills needed for daily tasks, and routines to accomplish the things you do on a regular basis. It is so easy to get stuck in the familiarity zone. It is where majority of us operate most of our lives. We tend to take advantage of all the things here, and almost unconsciously spend our time doing mindless tasks every day. One day, we wake up and wonder what happened to our time and our lives. You are left unfulfilled, confused, and depressed. This isn’t the life you envisioned is it? What happened to those dreams? What happened to those goals? Some where along the way you lost sight of the things that truly excited you. The things you are truly passionate about. Successful people never lose sight of their mission. The good news is, if you are alive and you are reading this, then you can make a change.
There is an old saying that goes like this. “When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago and right now.” You MUST recognize the significance of THIS MOMENT. There is no past and there is no future. All that we have is this moment, right here, right now. In this moment you have the opportunity to make the most of it or let it continue to pass you by. Once you fully accept the importance of this moment, fear is removed from the equation. You are able to think about those grand ideas and goals. Break them down into bite size pieces of action that you can do right now and every day that will ultimately lead you to your goals. The thing about this small practice is that it is easy to do… and easy NOT TO DO. I can guarantee that daily, consistent action on your goals will lead to a result. It simply has too. If you put in the work, you will reap what you sow. Now, I want to bring this back to the main point I want to get focus on here about your COMFORT ZONE and why its crucial you step outside of it and push on.
At some point, your goals, ambitions, and dreams will lead you to making a huge leap of faith past the things you already know. Jim Rohn famously said “If you want things to change, you must change. If you want things to get better, you have to get better.” If you are aspiring to big things, you will have to take on a task you are unfamiliar with, meet people who make you feel uncomfortable, and raise the standards for how you view yourself and your life. This is the “scary” part! I think that before you get to this point, you have to be truly honest with yourself. You need to ask yourself the tough questions. What do I truly value? Have my actions reflected my values? What is most important to me today? Are the things I am doing today, helping me or hurting me? Do I have self destructive habits that will keep me from my goals? Do I have toxic relationships in my life that are hindering my personal growth? How can I be more than I am today? What do I truly want? How am I going to get there? When you take the time and ask those tough questions, you get a deeper understanding of who you are. Most of the time I find that we already know what we should be doing. We already know the answers to those tough questions. But we aren’t ready to face the music. Make a change.
I can promise you this… there will NEVER be a perfect time! These big changes in my life have come when I made up my mind that enough was enough and I cut the metaphorical cord. You MUST do the same. There will be sacrifices and there will be pain. These are all necessary if you ever want to live the fulfilling life you once dreamed of. You HAVE TO step out of your comfort zone. This takes extreme courage on your behalf but I PROMISE it gets easier. This one act of courage will give you the strength for the next. Then the next. Then the next. Soon you will become accustomed to the constant change but it will be purposeful. You understand the change is bringing you closer to your goals and this motivates you even more to push on. Whatever your goals or dreams are, UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL. You have the choice to continue to be miserable or make a change. This is why I do not have time for folks who want to make excuses. YOU ARE IN CONTROL and I believe you are capable of accomplishing great things. Do not get caught up in negative self talk. We all have bad things that happen to us and we all have situations that could bring us to our knees. It is our mindset and attitude that gets us through those things. Remember, you never have failures, you just have learning experiences.
If I can say one thing to you today that hopefully you can relate to and take with you this week is this. Please understand you are POWERFUL. YOU are truly capable of anything. You are in control of your life. Ask those tough questions. Answer them with sincerity and honestly. Then take action to change your situation and life. Accept things for the way they are today but understand that this isn’t as good as it gets. You are in control of this moment and all the rest following. Be brave. Step out of your comfort zone and do the things that scare you. LIFE will take on new a meaning for you with endless possibilities. Make the most of your life. No one else will do that for you. It only takes one moment of courage. I love you all. Like and join our page on Facebook for a positive community of people just like you who are striving to make changes in their life! Remember… BE THE BETTER YOU. Have an awesome week!
