13 Jun Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
When we challenge ourselves outside our skills and possibly our identity and beliefs, it can certainly get uncomfortable. Stretching that comfort zone though is all about understanding what’s in it for you? The benefits can be high, ‘failure’ is mostly limited and it is purely fear of the unknown that holds us back. By changing the way you think, getting uncomfortable can lead us to a more fulfilled life through:
1. Growth – Stepping into the unknown teaches us about ourselves, gives us new life experiences, tests us and expands how we see our capabilities.
2. Pride – Even if our experience isn’t as we would have hoped or as we expected, it feels good to have overcome our fears, we feel a sense of success for simply showing up and stepping up.
3. Adventure – I’ve found that my success rate with new things or ideas is unusually high. Sure, I occasionally get a new activity or adventure that turns out to be a dud, or I actually suck at it, but once you push through the initial fears you might find something you love and that reignites your fire.
4. Escape Boredom – Challenging yourself is never boring. If you use boredom as your mark of failure rather than embarrassment or results, you can inject a whole lot more enthusiasm into your life.
Leaving Your Comfort Zone- Tips for Getting Started
1. Curiosity – The more we learn, the more we realise what we don’t know. Throw away all your assumptions about what ‘might’ happen and get positively curious about what adventures can be had instead.
2. Find a Safety Net – Bring along a person who will be supportive of you to help reduce any anxiety or stress. Flying solo can sometimes be tough starting out -make it easy on yourself from the start. Every grand adventure started with a first step.
3. Open Your Mind – Try not to label certain activities as ‘hard’ or ‘extreme’ or even as ‘exercise’ Label it as an adventure. You will find many more opportunities for exploration if you get rid of expectations.
4. Join A Group – The fastest way to find new experiences and friends. For a low price you can usually learn something completely different all while meeting new and like- minded people in an environment that respects growth and change.
5.Use Your Social Network – Social Media is a gateway to new adventures. Expand your social network and before you know it, unusual opportunities you probably wouldn’t have considered before will come up and as a bonus, you’ll have some great new friends. Hang with a tribe who is doing what you would like to do, this will be a source of encouragement rather than other people you know who may not be curious to expand their experiences.
6.Break it Down – Don’t try to tackle your biggest fears all at once. Choose a small step along the way to a big decision. Try pieces of it, break it down into manageable chunks. Too difficult? Break it into something more manageable and try again. If it was too easy, ramp up the difficulty and go at it. This is how we slowly, but successfully build our skills, and before we know it are competently doing the thing that we once feared.
7.Accept the Nervousness – Don’t try to control how you feel. You can feel nervous or uncertain and still move forward. Catch yourself in those thoughts, thank them for caring, but let that voice know that no matter what happens, you can deal with it, you always do.
8.Make Time – Discipline yourself to carve out a section of your week for exploring new ideas and adventures.
Ready to take that step and be inspired to leave you comfort zone? Join us at the Adventurous Spirit Series in your city by clicking the link below.
First published in Issue 4- Travel PlayLive Magazine
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