6 Tips for Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Haaaa the famous comfort zone.

We hear about it everywhere, but do you know exactly what it is?

And above all, why and how should we try to get out of it a little more each day?

What is the comfort zone?

You know, it's that zone where you feel comfortable, that keeps you away from stress and fear.

With this set of habits and behaviors that you perform and that reassure you. 

But that doesn't allow you to develop your full potential.

Yes, I know, this feeling of security is so comforting. But in the long run it can quickly become a trap and prevent you from moving forward.

So yes, it's not easy to get out of it but it's worth it, believe me.

Between having left everything to go and live in Paris and then in Montreal. Not to mention my many solo road trips around the world, I think I'm able to tell you about it in more detail.

So that's all well and good, but in concrete terms, how do we get out of this famous gray area?

How to get out of it?

• Change your habits

Start by identifying and listing what seems to you, let's say " comfortable " (job, home, family…) and “ uncomfortable » (moving, starting a new activity, etc.)

Think about those parts of your life that you do/undergo more out of habit than for pleasure.

For example, you always take the same route to work, you always go to bed at the same time, go out to the same places, go to the same holiday club every year...

So ask yourself what have you done that is special, new, in the last year?

And in what area do you want change?

This brings me to my second point.

• Set yourself achievable goals (same small)

I'm not asking you to leave everything or change everything overnight.

You can start small of course.

This could be changing one of your daily routes or learning a new cooking recipe, for example.

Then gradually you can tackle bigger projects if you want.

For example, list your desires, your dreams. And proceed step by step to try to at least give yourself the means to achieve one of them.

Trust me, you'll regret doing nothing more than at least trying.

To do this, you can use a fairly widespread method that has proven itself.

The SMART Method (" clever " in English) which is also an acronym whose each letter characterizes the main criteria of this method.

Specific = What exactly do you want?

Measurable = How to measure your progress?

Achievable = Is your goal achievable?

Realistic = Choose one goal at a time

Temporally defined = Set a deadline to achieve your goal

• Travel alone

Start small with a night or weekend away somewhere outside of your comfort zone.

In any case, if you don't feel like going alone for longer.

So, in addition to gaining confidence with this type of journey, you will do things that you are not used to doing in your daily life.

When traveling, you can leave room for improvisation. Don't always plan all your activities on site according to your desires at the time.

And then above all you will learn to know yourself much better.

Yes, because discovering new cultures, flavors, trying new languages, all of this will necessarily make you grow.

And for that, you don't need to go far or leave everything in your bank account there.

So why not follow the advice of the Dalai Lama himself who said

“Once a year, go somewhere you've never been before.”

• Meet new people

If you only hang out with people who want to stay in their comfort zone and don't try to expand it, you're unfortunately at risk of being influenced.

It would be a bit like the snake biting its own tail.

On the contrary, surround yourself with people who can inspire you as much as possible. Who are in the same movement as you, and try things, new activities and so on.

No need for a long speech on this point I think. You get the idea.

• Overcoming Your Fear of Failure

We should not be afraid of failure, but see it as a learning experience.

Many still tend to perceive failure as a tragedy.

But it is part of life. Even the greatest have gone through it before succeeding in their field. Never forget that.

Once you change your mind about this, you'll be ready to step out of your comfort zone. Otherwise, you'll likely back down at the first obstacle in your path.

It is by taking risks that you will discover yourself.

That's the key, basically.

Finally stop putting up with situations that you don't like.

• Experience new sensations/activities

Do you want to try this new sport but you don't dare to go alone?

Go for it, you will probably create contacts and even new friendships.

Start with a trial class to get an idea of the activity, the atmosphere, the places, and see how you feel at that time.

Do you want to change careers but are afraid of failing, or don't know where to start?

And why not get help through a skills assessment?

(I am one personally at the moment at a stage where I am stagnating in my activity. A thousand miles from my basic professional project and what really drives me.)

I find it interesting to have an outside eye that highlights certain aspects of your personality or your journey that you did not perceive yourself. Certain things that may seem normal or banal to you will not be seen from the same angle. This then allows you to see certain aspects of your personality, your skills in a new light. This can help you think about what you want to do, where you want to go, what are your values, qualities, skills).

There are many offers of free or even low-cost skills assessments everywhere.

In addition to promoting self-confidence here too, it seems that setting yourself new challenges also helps you age better.

So why deprive yourself? 😉

To conclude, here is a quote that can sum it all up:

 “Success begins at the end of our comfort zone”

So, are you ready to shake things up in your life?