Is Staying In Your Comfort Zone Holding You Back?
 
LIfe begins at the end of your comfort zone
 
Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP
 
Career Transition and Job Search Coach | Life Strategies Coaching
 
 
We’ve all heard about the importance of getting out of our comfort zone. But have you ever thought about why you should leave yours? After all, our comfort zone is where we feel safe and in control. It’s where you can predict what will happen and how you think. There won’t be any surprises that you fear you can’t deal with.
 
 
So why would you feel compelled or even want to leave your comfort zone? You need to do it because getting out of your comfort zone is the key to personal growth and happiness. Stepping out of your site helps you build self-confidence and how you view yourself.
 
 

Is being there holding you back from living a fulfilled life and growing your career?

 
 
The answer is yes. Being in your comfort zone and staying there keeps you from realizing and achieving what you desire. Staying safely within your comfort zone keeps you from being challenged, and you don’t have to rise to any new occasions.
 
 

Here are three ways staying in your comfort zone is holding you back.

 

Your comfort zone - photo

 
 
1. It’ keeps you from growing personally. When you are afraid of something, staying in your comfort zone keeps you from facing that fear. Then you suffer from it forever or until you do encounter it. This is because you stay away from situations that would put you in a position of facing the fear to overcome it.
 
 
For example, your fear of public speaking keeps you from taking a job requiring you to speak in front of others, even though it’s a step up your career ladder.
 
 
2. Your comfort zone is keeping you from being happy.
 
 
Comfort is the enemy of achievement
 
 
Maybe you struggle with self-confidence and self-esteem issues. Unfortunately, these problems can grow unless you take steps outside your comfort zone to begin addressing them. Stepping outside your comfort zone helps you build confidence and see yourself in a better light.
 
 
 

When you are confident and have good self-esteem, you are happier. For example, if you’re not confident in your abilities, you tend to stay in your comfort zone instead of trying something new. This drags down your confidence, making you feel less competent and unhappy.

 

 

3. Staying in your comfort zone can make you feel trapped and unhealthy. Often our comfort zone keeps us making bad habits out of fear. For example, you might want to be more active, run a marathon, feel fewer aches and pains and go on adventures. But to do any of these things means doing something outside your comfort zone.

 

For example, you want to run a short marathon. It’s always been your dream, but you procrastinate and make excuses why you can’t. First, you’re too out of shape. You don’t have time. You’re too old. 

  

But the real reason is that you are afraid to get out of your comfort zone and begin training with a trainer. As a result, you continue to eat unhealthily, gain weight, lose muscle tone, and put your dream on the back burner until your health becomes a problem.

  

When we stay in our comfort zone, we are holding ourselves back from living a life we love, being happy, and growing. Instead, we end up letting our fears rule and settling for mediocrity.

 
 
Step out of your comfort zone
 
 
For example, you want to run a short marathon. It’s always been your dream, but you procrastinate and make excuses why you can’t. First, you’re too out of shape. You don’t have time. You’re too old. 
 
 
Senior runner
 
 
But the real reason is that you are afraid to get out of your comfort zone and begin training with a trainer. As a result, you continue to eat unhealthily, gain weight, lose muscle tone, and put your dream on the back burner until your health becomes a problem.
 
 
When we stay in our comfort zone, we are holding ourselves back from living a life we love, being happy, and growing. Instead, we end up letting our fears rule and settling for mediocrity.

Vanessa Jackson
Phoenix Rising Coaching
1541 Flaming Oak
New Braunfels Texas 78132
United States of America