2 minute read
Comfort Zone: Exit
Article & Graphic by Inês Rodrigues (PT)
Why “Life begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone”, a guidebook.
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Lets all face it: Life can be pretty scary. And pretty beautiful too. Throughout our lives, we are constantly faced with uncomfortable situations that require us to take the leap. But what is preventing us from doing so? From taking a step ahead and grabbing all the opportunities we are presented with?
Take some minutes to think about that moment where you turned down that amazing opportunity to speak up and take the leap – were you really that tired and overwhelmed, or were you just making up excuses because you were terrified of what could go wrong?
In these moments of doubt, just take a deep breath, count to 5 and do it. There’s no other way around it: to step outside your comfort zone, you have to do it, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Finding mechanisms that will force you to dive in is the best long-term option, and it might lead you to discovering that what you initially feared isn’t as bad as you thought. It is never as scary as it looks. Here are some practical tips to overcome your fears and step out of your comfort zone:
- Make a list of the pros of cons of each situation. This way you can have an overview of all the good things you can take from that experience.
- Failure is inevitable, embrace it. When something doesn’t go your way, don’t be afraid to take a step down and start again.
- Start with small steps and note them down, they are better than no steps. Know where to start and write that down, it will make you feel more motivated.
- Try something new until you feel comfortable. Acting like you are comfortable (even when you are not) will set you to a better path in the future.
- Start the day with positive thoughts. Even though this looks like a simple tip, it can be one of the most important ones, as the first minutes of your day can set the tone for the rest of it.
- Remind yourself why you started. When you do not feel motivated you can look at that to see what it is that you want to accomplish.
