Comfort Zone is Hindering Your Growth

Who does not like to be comfortable? When you have a set routine, things are predictable. You deal with familiar things and faces. You feel safe because you have done a certain thing or be in a certain place for a while. Or someone you know and trust is where you are at. You feel like you are in control of the situation and you do not feel stressed.

You may not be in the best place you want to be, yet you do not want to venture out to explore or achieve something better, because getting out of your comfort zone may cause you more stress than staying in the suboptimal familiar environment.

For the longest time, I was operating my clinical day a certain way. I did my best in seeing all the scheduled (and sometimes unscheduled) patients for the day, tried to keep them as on time as possible, and sacrificed my own time by completing many of the patient charts after hours. I did not like that I had no time for myself, yet it was a familiar way of doing things. As much as I wanted the results to be different, I was too comfortable to change my routine, even though I knew things had to change for me to go home on time. Until I was ready to face the fear of the unknown, the unfamiliarity, the doubt, I would rather suffer in the seemingly safe and predictable environment rather than stepping into the fear and stress to eventually achieve my goal of going home on time.

Your comfort zone is like your home. It is a safe place you go back to. It is decorated with familiar things and routines. It is predictable. Yet it is also confining. If you limit yourself in the comfort zone, you are not being challenged. You are not growing.

If you want something different, you will have to do something different. That may mean that you are doing something new, something you are not accustomed to. It may be stressful simply having the thought of doing something new, because the fear of the unknown is compelling. You may doubt yourself if that is possible. You may seek other’s opinion or approval before moving forward.

Stepping out of your comfort zone may be scary. After all, anything outside of the comfort zone is discomfort. This is also where you get to grow and achieve your goal. You want to step into discomfort, a stretch from your current state, yet not too overwhelming for you to believe that it is impossible.

To step out of your comfort zone, it is important to remember your why. Why do you want to do it? What are you trying to achieve? This is a vital question to keep your answer in your mind always.

Once you understand your why, set a goal. Set a goal that is realistic yet a stretch for your current self. A goal that is achievable and not so far-fetched that your brain goes straight to believing that it is impossible – this will shut down all your creativity, curiosity and will to even take the first step out of your comfort zone. Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example, if you are going home on average at 7 pm with 10 charts to complete at home, your goal may be to finish all your charts by 7 pm in 2 month’s time.

When you set your goal, believe that you can achieve that goal. It may seem difficult for you at the moment because you do not know how to. Resist coming up with the how while you practice believing.

The next step is to plan. If your ultimate goal seems to be a long shot for you, set a shorter-term, a smaller goal. Going back to our charting example, a smaller goal may be, within 1 month, you will have only 5 charts left to be completed by 7 pm.

Then take action. Do what you plan to do and keeping your why in mind all the time. Expect failures. Expect to course adjust. Take one step at a time. Seek help from others, especially those who have already achieved your goal. By asking for help, you will safe a lot of time and effort figuring out on your own.

You will be tempted to stay where you are every step of the way. That is when it is important you remind yourself why you are doing it, why you are changing things, why you are subjecting yourself to the discomfort. Remind yourself what you are losing by not stepping out. What is the worst that can happen when you taken action, feel the discomfort, and go toward your goal?

When you achieve your goal, that gradually becomes your comfort zone. Essentially, your comfort zone expands and shifts in different times of your lives. It is the allowance of the shifting of comfort zones that lets us grow and achieve more in life.