Growth and comfort zone

The world is full of talented men and women who appear unable to come into their own—they simply cannot
achieve the same goals attained by other, less talented but more successful people. Quite often, this happens
because they always hesitate to take new, riskier directions; they’d rather coop up in their comfort zone, where
they feel safe and sheltered from unexpected, possibly painful events. This being the case, how can we break free
from this sort of velvet coffin—essentially locked up in a prison we built ourselves?

The concept of comfort zone

By comfort zone we mean the psychological state in which people feel safe and at ease, where they can complete
a limited number of tasks without taking chances. We all instinctively tend to hang out in this zone: leaving it takes
always quite a lot of effort, because we are on home ground here, in a place where we aree free from anxiety and
fear.
Stepping out of the comfort zone ones lands in the so-called learning zone. This area provides an opportunity to
grow and improve—physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
Entering this zone requires nerve and determination. Also, do not overstep the mark, for beyond the learning
zone lies the stress zone, an alien and uncomfortable area where you might panic. You would then feel frustrated
and unable to make any decision: in such circumstances no real learning experience can take place.

This is why you need to get away from your comfort zone

The more you hole up in your comfort zone, the more you will end up regarding any innovation, however trifling,
as a danger rather than an oportunity. Because of this, you should never confine your life to this small area only. It
is very important to overcome your unwillingness to engage in something you were unaccustomed to, even if you
are afraid that you might be left to face the music later. Despite the fact that you may be nice nd snug, a comfort
zone is still a sort of cage, where there’s no room for adventure and strong emotions.
A tendency to remain inside one’s own comfort zone is perfectly understandable: after all, it would provide shelter
from danger protection against failure. In the long run, however, this may well prove to be a trap—a limitation to
your happiness, as it were. William Shed summed up the problem with his well-know frase: “A ship in a harbour is
safe, but that is not what ships are built for”.
If you are to grow, you ought to extend the boundaries this safe zone. You must learn how to cope with innovation;
you must not be distresses, neither should you be afraid to fail. Remember, failures are an essential step along

the path to success, as they enable you to analyse your mistakes and learn how to avoid them in the future.

How to leave our comfort zone

In our present hypertechnological society, being able to transcend the boundaries of one’s comfort zone is
particularly important business, where being open to new ideas and prepared to take the opportunity to acquire
new skills may definitely make a difference.
However, inner growth and greater knowledge means you must be prepared to be proactive and to put yourself on
the line, facing the change and thinking positively —do not be afraid to fail or you’ll never succeed.
John Wood, a well-known American activist, listed five major elements you need to consider in order to be able to
leave your comfort zone:

  • make sure you know exactly what your goal is going to be;
  •  seek to pull people in that may help you as you try to change;
  • ask other people to help, so as to combine skills and knowledge;
  • do to be turned down by failure, nor when some slams the door in your face;
  • follow your instinct.

In order to leave your very own comfort zone you must give up old habits, slowly but surely, beginning with
common, seemingly insignificant aspects like choosing a different route to work, diversifying your vocabulary using
synonyms, and so forth. This will lead you to acquire greater mentalagility and you will learn how to reach your
goal through different means. In the words of Basil King, “Go at it boldly”!