Break up with your comfort zone

 

“Comfort is the enemy of achievement”. If you don’t believe this is true, ask yourself when was the last time you achieved something great by staying in the same place..

Sometimes we are placed in uncomfortable situations and we have to make them work. Those situations are usually the determining factors that gave substance to your life. I get it, doing something new is scary, but if you don’t put on the shoe and step out of your comfort zone to make the best of it, you will never know what’s waiting on the other side of fear. I always say it’s better to move forward steadily and early than to look back later stagnant in regret.

Ive never been the person to hold back because of fear. Ive had to do things that felt very uncomfortable and arrived to my life at the wrong time, but I knew deep down they were taking me where I was meant to be. Ive had a couple situations thrown my way that I didn't anticipate or plan throughout my life and they are now solely what make me who I am.

Think back to the moments where your life changed the most, what caused the change? Did you apply for that tough job, did you start that business, did you have a new baby, did you quit a toxic job or toxic relationship? I can relate.

What may seem very uncomfortable to me can be a walk in the park for you. For example, ask me to write a blog post in 2 hours and I will do it with my eyes closed. Ask someone else who is not comfortable writing and they will second guess every thought. Now, ask me to speak infront of thousands of people live with a mic and I will shake at the knees while someone else I know personally would jump at the recognition. 

We are all different, our desires and fears are all uniquely encoded. We must focus on our abilities to break barriers and not in the barriers that break our abilities. When you look to the side and you want that, feel inspired, know that you too, have it in you. It doesn’t happen overnight though, sure some have innate abilities in certain aspects of life but remember that hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle and that also applies to you working towards your goals. You can make your outcome as big and just as successful as anyone else's if you pour your heart in and put forth the hard work it requires. Thats always made the difference for me. When I observe why others aren't successful I realize they put out the accomplishments of others as unattainable. I always use them as inspiration to show me what I can do and aim for more.

We are designed and programmed since we are young children to follow a pattern. We often times put our dreams on the back burner because they require us to do things that seem out of reach at the moment. Your first day of school, first audition, your first match, your first training. Those were all situations that were followed by a-lot of personal growth and learning that otherwise would've never happened.

You will never know what you are capable of unless you try it. Lets take it way back to basics and analyze. When we are learning to walk, we get up and we stumble and fall. Eventually we steadily walk and then even jump and run. Do you think a baby is worried about what happens when he falls learning how to walk? So why is it as we get older we start to worry about what can go wrong when doing the things designed to help us grow? If we started making decisions like that one year old baby learning how to walk who just went for it, where would you be right now?

I have had to step out of my comfort zone so many times in my life specially in the last year to become the person I am right this moment. I know that I am nowhere near my full potential because there is always room to grow and evolve in my journey. Every step of the way wasn’t easy but the reward was definitely worth it. I remember sometimes asking myself why I was dealing with certain situations which now mark a big chapter in my life. If I could go back and go through the growing pains a million times over, I would with my eyes closed. This is why I am so firm with those around me about doing things that seem scary. It comes from a genuine place of wanting better for them because I too, have experienced it. Getting yourself out of that place where you don’t see yourself at first and then moving right passed it is so gratifying. Looking back at it and thinking, "wow, what if I would've never taken that chance."

Lets talk comfort zones, a place or situation where one feels safe or at ease and without stress. Who lives there? 90% of the population who aims to be just like everyone and simply “survive”. Those outside the comfort zone are dreamers, confident, excited, wealthy prosperous etc. Which one are you?

In my case I have always been a writer, I am great at expressing myself through text, notes etc but very against phone calls, live trainings, videos etc.  I recognized public speaking wasn’t my favorite thing to do because I wasn’t confident in it, therefore I didn't put it on the back burner, I just needed to get better. I also never had to do it to survive so that changed alot of me, it wasn't a priority for me. Back in high-school, I remember hating public speaking classes. In college it was presenting infront of professors and verbal exams that raised anxiety levels to 100. When I started my business.. it was talking infront of so many and training live. I quickly realized that I had two options, do it scared and grow or not do it at all and wonder my whole life if I would've been any good. Let me just say this to you guys, if I would have let this business go over the times I had to choose to get out of my comfort zone I would’ve lived a life of regret forever. 

We are capable of everything and anything, repeat after me. Some with more practice and experience than others but even your biggest idol was once a student.

"You are only confined by the walls you build yourself." Who said you cant do it? You. Who said youre not good enough? You. Who is making you stay in the same “comfortable” place? You. Who is not doing the work it requires to evolve? You. Nobody else is telling you that you cant do something except yourself, and if someone else is, you are choosing to believe them. These so called “comfortable” places we have are most of the time filled with “what ifs” and regrets and that’s not a very nice place to live.

Im not going to sit here and tell you that stepping out of your comfort zone is easy. Its not. Its scary, its painful, its nerve wrecking. It will make you question why you’re doing it in the first place but if your dreams are big enough, you will do anything to make them happen. 

Are you familiar with the term growing pains? Sure, Its not supposed to tickle when you do something scary. Its not supposed to feel like a walk in the park or a piece of cake. Everything extremely rewarding comes from life changing decisions. Doing the things that most people wont do will get you the results most people want but cant have. 

Move out of your own way. Stop comparing yourself, stop thinking you need to sound a certain way, look or act a certain way. I dropped that really fast. I would've never been ready if I would've kept comparing. Stop thinking you need a certain amount of followers, or supportive family members. You dont. You can set the new standard. You can be your best you.

If It doesn’t challenge you it wont change you. I am never comfortable where I am. I always want to keep growing. Theres always another day to be inspired, another song, another quote. Another thing to learn, another book to read and another place to go.

You can only grow and become great at what you do if you are willing to feel akward and uncomfortable when you try something new to make yourself better. If you are willing to put in the hours and take those steps, you will get there. After the gym your muscles are sore, they're growing, its painful... but its worth it if you prioritize a fit body. It all comes down to what holds value to you. For me, its giving myself the best life possible both physically and financially to pass down for generations to come. I had to do what those before me didn't do to where to get I am now. Every single step will take you closer where you want to be. You wont know what youre capable of unless you try. Every single time you want to give up remembmer no successful person ever quit. Every time your comfort zone tries to pull you back in remember success is on the other side of fear.