It can be easy to get caught up in the flow of life and let it carry you. Most people fall into this trap at some point in their lives, and it is one that can be incredibly difficult to take yourself out of. Not only are you comfortable going with the flow, but the thought of stepping out of your comfort zone can be a scary thing, particularly if you are deeply ingrained in your habits.
The important thing is not to rush into making too many changes at once. Changing a lot at once can be a good thing for some people, but for others, it may result in becoming overstimulated and giving up on making a change altogether. Instead, working up to the big changes can be a good idea.
Get Used To Feeling Uncomfortable
No one enjoys feeling uncomfortable, but if you want to get out of your comfort zone, you’re going to have to get used to it. If this is a real challenge for you, it may help to start with small things that are easily accomplished. For instance, you could try a new type of food, drive a different route home from work, or smile at a stranger. The more you embrace feeling uncomfortable, the less it will rule you and how you live your life.
Take Lessons From Your Failures
Failure is always tough, and many people avoid things they may fail at for just that reason. Like embracing feeling uncomfortable, it is crucial to get used to failure if you want to make big changes to your life. A great way to think about failure is as a lesson – each failure can teach you something about yourself, your responses to new scenarios and more.
Look For A New Job
One of the most commonly cited reasons for feeling stagnant in life is employment. If you’ve been in the same role for a while and are feeling unfulfilled, this can have a knock-on effect on many other areas of your life. Conversely, finding a new job can feel daunting and will certainly take you out of your comfort zone. You could consider the change a challenge and find ways to make it into a competition with yourself.
Consider A Career Change
If just changing jobs isn’t enough to brush away the cobwebs and help you reach a more fulfilling life, then a career change could be the perfect solution. Consider your current career path and how happy you are with its trajectory. Start thinking about other careers that could offer you more of the things you love and less of the things you dislike. You may need to undertake training to get where you want to go, but the result will be an even more fulfilling and enriching career.
Take Time Off To Travel
Travelling can do a huge amount of good to our mental health and can also get you well and truly out of your comfort zone. If you have enough holiday time saved or the option of a sabbatical from work, consider taking the time to visit a country you’ve never seen before. Learning to navigate a country with an entirely different culture, etiquette, currency, and language can push you to your limit but will end up giving you an incredibly gratifying confidence boost.
Learn To Take A Leap Of Faith
You can’t plan for all eventualities, and often venturing out from your comfort zone will require a leap of faith. This can be one of the hardest parts of branching out in life and one of the hardest to get used to.
A great way to get practised in taking a leap of faith can be through games of chance. These games require skill and a healthy dose of luck to succeed and can give you a great taster of what it’s like to take a leap of faith. Roulette is a good choice, but make sure to read a casino guide thoroughly before placing any money on a game.
Give Up On Perfection
There’s an old saying that perfection is the enemy of good. This means that striving for perfection can often be more detrimental than beneficial for people and can be applied to all areas of life. It is understandable to want to be a perfectionist in all parts of life, but often the best thing to do is accept that perfection may not be an achievable goal.
Instead, consider taking small steps towards a fulfilling life and celebrate even the smallest of victories. This can also be a great way to boost your mental health and stop comparing yourself to others. Appreciating the small things goes a long way towards becoming more content and zen.
Surround Yourself With People Who Challenge You
Getting help from others to achieve your goals can make the process much easier than trying to struggle on your own. Surrounding yourself with people who challenge you to try new experiences can be a great way to help you reach your goals.
Take Up A Creative Hobby
Creativity can be a great way to get out of your comfort zone without stressing yourself out. In fact, a creative hobby can be a great way to relax and unwind while having new experiences. There are many options out there you could try, from painting to embroidery to woodworking. You might need to experiment with different hobbies until you find the one that’s right for you and keep in mind the possible expense of taking up a new hobby.
Learn Something New
Expanding your horizons can be a great option that will get you out of your comfort zone, boost your confidence and enrich your life. There are many great options to choose from, and it is important to remember that what you learn doesn’t necessarily need to have a real-world application.
It could be a course on a topic that has long interested you, like an area of ancient history. If what you study helps you advance in your career, that should be a bonus and not the motivation behind taking up new studies.