Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Doesn’t it just feel so wrong and even more tiring that whether you like it or not, your alarm still has to wake you up in the next couple of hours even after you just retired to bed like half an hour ago? Yeah, that sucks right?

That’s the same feeling I get when I’m right on my bed, underneath my warm cozy duvet, positioned myself properly and all set to embark on my journey to dreamland, then all of a sudden, I realize that I forgot to turn off the light. Gosh!! At this point, the burning desire to scream someone's name to come to my aid is all that comes to my mind. How I wish I had a bedside switch to turn the light on and off. No matter how hard I pretend to close my eyes hoping that in few minutes, I'll fall asleep without even noticing the lights, I’ll end up tossing and turning till I  grudgingly crawl out of my bed to turn off the light.


The thing about getting too comfortable in a particular position is that you so much enjoy doing what you do that you refuse to embrace any challenging opportunity that knocks at your door. Your learning and development abilities are very limited because you're so engrossed to even let go. Taking up new responsibilities and pushing yourself a little further doesn’t interest you and this certainly, will prevent you from enjoying the benefits of aiming higher.

The hidden truth I have discovered is that most of the people who remain in their comfort zones really do wish they had the strong ability to take bold steps like others do. This feeling comes especially when they see someone who was once in their position, actively performing and advancing better than they are. Just like the lady in the box with eyes popped out, they watch and stare, hoping and wishing that it were them. "Hmm!! How did she do it? … but wait! we were working the same job, even had the same position few months ago, how come she is where she is now?" Oh dear, there was no special magic performed. She only left her comfortable zone. She refused to be like that frog at the bottom of the well who thinks that the sky is only as big as the top of the well. It's been said that children who played in the same sand 20years ago won't remain in that same sand 20years after. This fact still remains true.

I do understand that people are afraid of the uncertainties that may come along. People always ask…. "Who knows what will happen if I leave where I am to the unknown? What are the chances that I will be able to do better than how I am presently doing? I need to know the history of those who have tried and if at least one person succeeded, I might give it a shot".

All these are valid questions to ask before venturing into something new. Besides, you can’t just walk blindly into a strange territory without conducting thorough evaluation and some quality checks. If you're the type that has all these uncertainties and insecurities of what will happen on the other side, you still won't know what will happen till you step out of that comfort zone.

In my case, my bed was my comfort zone, a place where I felt at ease and needed no disturbance. Switching off the light was my ultimate goal, a task that seemed almost impossible to accomplish. Despite being in my comfortable zone, I still felt very uncomfortable as a result of the light reflecting towards my eyes. That light signifies the "driving force" that pushed me into getting up from my bed to do what was needed to be done. Some of us need that same "driving force" to push us to get to where we ought to be in life.

Also, a very crucial factor to consider when stepping out of your comfort zone is your "hangout zone" which of course are your friends. If you want to break free from your comfort zone, you certainly have to break free from some people you hang out with. Your attitude, speech and behaviour are directly affected by your friends. They are the gatekeepers to your wisdom, fortune and demure. If they are comfortable in their comfort zones, they are certainly not going to let you leave yours. Your "hangout zone" should be a motivating factor and a forcing drive to propel you for greater heights. Most people cannot do things unless their friends are doing it. It's more like they need to get consent or approval before embarking on that given task. If you find yourself in this category, it's high time you stand on your feet and start making decisions on your own. Those friends won't be there forever and remember, not everyone will believe in the dreams and vision that you have.

Have you not remained there long enough?  Has procrastination stolen so much of your time? Have you gotten too comfortable that you've forgotten that you are a moving train? It's time to get up and brace up. Great things never comes from comfort zones. Begin to challenge yourself, think outside the box, try something different, come up with a plan and begin to pursue that plan. Make those dreams become reality. You are a leader. The world looking up to you, your generation is looking up to you, your children are looking up to you. You can do BETTER than this if only you STEP OUT N' STEP FORTH.

I hope you found this helpful.

I'll see y'all in my next post.

Lots of love,

Ada :)


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