Pushing past your comfort zone means to go beyond what you are used to doing, what’s comfortable for you.
Yet that is the only way to grow. You’ve done it all your life. Did you know that?
Learning to walk, to ride a bike, to go to school, each thing was new for the first time, but you did it.
It’s no different now except your older and you don’t “have to” do new things. Except it’s the only way to keep growing.
Doing something unfamiliar isn’t always comfortable. But sometimes, you have to push beyond your comfort zone to grow.
We all like the routine of daily living we have carved out for ourselves. Familiar circumstances feel “safe” like being “home” and using our “own pillow.”
Most of us like to stay in our warm and familiar habits. But then, nothing different will occur if that is our daily routine.
It is only when we change something: our routine, our thinking, our expectations, that we grow as human beings. So, it is good to push beyond our comfort zones, whatever they may be.
Why? Because otherwise, we become inflexible. When we stop growing, we grow old. Growing “old” can also mean being unable to accept new ideas, and we all know the constant in life is change and new ideas.
So, to become better, whether in our personal life, or in any pursuit, doing the familiar is only good for a little while. After that, we need to push ourselves past our comfort zone for something “else” to happen. The new routine will only feel uncomfortable until . . . it begins to feel familiar again. Then, after getting used to the new situation, it’s time to push the envelope once more.
That is the only way to grow, to advance, to do better. It only feels difficult because it’s new territory. Soon, the unfamiliar becomes familiar and the cycle starts again.
During any change, it’s easy to be upset, anxious, even a little down. You may not be as productive as you usually feel. But that is only temporary as you adjust to the new situation.
Be gentle with yourself in times of change. Keep hydrated. Eat well. Get enough sleep, learn to like yourself. And, if you didn’t do something new today, maybe you can change tomorrow.
Remember, tomorrow is another day.
