a speech about comfort zone

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Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone – Motivational Speech

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone – Motivational Speech by Fearless Motivation

Lyrics – Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone – Motivational Speech  | Fearless Motivation

Your comfort zone is your enemy One of the biggest ironies i can think of, is when you live life trying to stay comfortable, life will send you more and more discomfort.

It’s true, life will send you more and more problems Life will keep throwing rocks at you Life will keep handing you resistance, struggles, issues.

And because people are so concerned about staying comfortable instead of growing and reaching higher, because people don’t want to address their limitations and move beyond them, they keep struggling.

Listen, you are not here on this planet to sip apple martinis on the beach and get yourself a tan. You are here to grow. And if you won’t make yourself uncomfortable life will give you plenty of reasons to push you out of your comfort zone.

So you have one of two options. Either you commit to constant growth and feeling discomfort upon your own accord and you become the master of your own destiny, or you hand over the keys and you let life happen to you be default.

One path leads you to success and the other path leads you to constant struggle and pain. It’s your choice.

Do you think Steve Jobs started apple feeling comfortable about it? Do you think top athletes sleep their way to high performance? Do you think oscar winning actors procrastinated their way to high achievement? NO. So why you giving in to wasting time with Netflix marathons? And to chronic procrastination? Why are you running to the bar the second your best friend texts you to come out?

You have got to be willing to make the hard decision. You’ve got to be willing to feel uncomfortable. To feel awkward, to face rejection, to fail, to feel pressure. You’ve got to be willing to face those things, because that’s what’s necessary for you to grow

How many times have you looked at your life and said “Man, if i only knew then what i know now, i would live my life so differently” So is it not possible then, that the life you are living now, you would be living differently, if you began to develop an awareness that you do not currently have?

Well guess what? The only way for you to develop knowledge and awareness is to try things you have not yet tried. To do things you have not yet done, to create things you have not yet created, to go to places you have not yet explored. This is how you grow!

That is how you become the person who is worthy of sitting on the beach with their favorite drink, life rewards you with those experiences AFTER you do the work.

There is a real price to success, and LIFE collects the payments, and let me tell you something, life does not accept payment plans. Life does not let you get away with experiencing things you have not yet earned. Your sacrifice must be paid upfront and in full, and that is the only way you are going to achieve the life you want.

So i strongly suggest that you begin to pay with your discomfort. I strongly suggest you start making those calls, that you start approaching that person, that you start practising kindness and compassion, over jealousy and greed, that you confront your anxiety, that you hit the gym, that you study harder, that you jump higher, that you begin waking up early, even if you’re not a morning person, that you destroy your procrastination. That you start doing the things, that you KNOW, within your heart, you should have started doing a long time ago, so you can start to build the experiences and the knowledge that you need to succeed. That is what i suggest to you.

And don’t listen to this as a voice on a video over some music. Listen to this as a direct sign, a direct message that life is giving you, to wake you up, to help you acknowledge your own greatness. It’s time! It’s time for you to get uncomfortable, it’s time for you to start dreaming again, and start going after what was always yours, but what you’ve ignored for far too long.

And i promise, when you push yourself into discomfort, your friends will take notice, your colleagues will take notice, your family will take notice, LIFE will take notice, and life will begin to back you up. Life will begin to support you, and open doors for you and introduce you to the people who will take you to the next level, but you have got to take the first step!

So take it. Take it and watch your life explode into greatness. Watch new levels of the game unfold for you Watch you develop into the person who you have always wanted to become.

It’s all waiting for you OUTSIDE of your comfort zone. GO FOR IT.

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This really motivated me so much . it is a great motivational speech.

Right in the gut! Thank you!

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64 Comfort Zone Quotes (With Motivation to Defy Your Fear)

Our comfort zone is the place where we feel the most in control. It’s made up of experiences that we’ve already had before and therefore don’t push us to continue to learn or grow.

But, breaking out of your regular routine is essential if you’re trying to make progress toward your goals.

If you want to live a life unlike anything you’ve experienced before, you have to start getting comfortable feeling uncomfortable.

In this article, you will find the best quotes to empower you to try new things and start moving towards creating a life that you love.

• Positive quotes
• Famous quotes
• Common questions

Positive quotes about leaving your comfort zone

Moving out of your comfort zone can definitely feel uncomfortable. But going after the things you fear is the best way to move towards growth and success. If you’re thinking about expanding your comfort zone but feel afraid to do so, hopefully, these quotes can help. Reading inspirational quotes like these can be a good reminder that staying in your comfort zone won’t get you any closer to living the life of your dreams.

1. “A ship in a harbour is safe, but it’s not fulfilling its potential.” —Susan Jeffers &nbsp 2. “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.” —John Assaraf &nbsp 3. “Uncertainty and growth are also human needs.” —Team Tony Robbins, 6 Tips to Leave Your Comfort Zone

4. “She never felt ready, but she was brave. And the Universe responds to brave.” —Unknown  &nbsp 5. “If you haven’t made any mistakes lately you must be doing something wrong.” —Susan Jeffers &nbsp 6. “It’s not as scary as it looks.” —Yubin Zhang, Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone, TedX

7. “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” —Abraham Maslow &nbsp 8. “Try. Otherwise you’ll never know.” —Unknown  &nbsp 9. “Expanding your comfort zone is about motivating and inspiring yourself in a way that honors your whole person. It’s not ‘I’m going to be good at everything,’ it’s about not being scared to try.” —Elizabeth Kuster, Expand Your Comfort Zone

10. “We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic, and positive equals unrealistic.” —Susan Jeffers &nbsp 11. “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” —Brian Tracy &nbsp 12. “Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly, it is your masterpiece after all.” —Nathan Morris

13. “If you can’t surrender, you can’t allow mystery, and if you can’t allow mystery, you can’t open the door to the soul.” —Pippa Grange &nbsp 14. “Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination.” —Diane Sawyer &nbsp 15. “It’s all happening perfectly.” —Susan Jeffers

16. “There is no comfort in the learning zone, and there is no learning in the comfort zone.” —Unknown  &nbsp 17. “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” —Nelson Mandela &nbsp 18. “Life isn’t exactly a predictable affair; perhaps then, people shouldn’t be either.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone

19. “Security is not having things, it’s handling things.” —Susan Jeffers &nbsp 20. “When you leave your comfort zone, anxiety is normal. It’s telling you that you feel vulnerable. Acknowledge it, then move past it.” —Team Tony Robbins, 6 Tips to Leave Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 21. “By reeducating the mind, you can accept fear as simply a fact of life instead of a barrier to success.” —Susan Jeffers

22. “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” —Team Tony Robbins, 6 Tips to Leave Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 23. “Many of us are so afraid of failure that we would rather do nothing than take a shot at our dreams.” —Cylon George, 10 Ways to Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Overcome Your Fear &nbsp 24. “Within the comfort zone, there isn’t much incentive for people to reach new heights of performance. It’s here that people go about routines devoid of risk, causing their progress to plateau.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone

25. “To leave the comfort zone, you must learn how to control the natural fear and anxiety you will feel when you try new things.” —Team Tony Robbins, 6 Tips to Leave Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 26. “Learn to laugh at yourself when you make mistakes .” —Cylon George, 10 Ways to Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Overcome Your Fear &nbsp 27. “Pushing through the fear is less frightening than living with the underlying circumstances that come from a feeling of helplessness.” —Susan Jeffers

28. “You have calibrated life when most of what you fear has the titillating prospect of adventure.” —Nassim Taleb &nbsp 29. “While occupying the comfort zone, it’s tempting to feel safe, in control, and that the environment is on an even keel. It’s smooth sailing. The best sailors, however, aren’t born in smooth waters.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 30. “Becoming is better than being. The fixed mindset does not allow people the luxury of becoming. They have to already be.” —Carol Dweck

31. “When leaving the comfort zone, fear doesn’t always equate to being in the panic zone.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 32. “We go in with a perfectionistic idea about achievement, and that we should be able to do it. The reality is, outside our comfort zone, why would we know how to do it? That’s the whole process.” —Emine Saner, Escape Your Comfort Zone! How to Face Your Fears – and Improve Your Health Wealth and Happiness &nbsp 33. “It takes courage to step from the comfort zone into the fear zone. Without a clear roadmap, there’s no way to build on previous experiences. This can be anxiety-provoking. Yet persevere long enough, and you enter the learning zone, where you gain new skills and deal with challenges resourcefully.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone

34. “Most people have experience leaving the comfort zone in at least one area of life, and there are usually plenty of insights to be uncovered from this experience.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 35. “For many, self-actualization acts as a powerful incentive to leave the comfort zone.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 36. “Intentionally leaving the comfort zone goes hand-in-hand with developing a growth mindset. While the fixed mindset keeps us trapped by fear of failure, the growth mindset expands the possible. It inspires us to learn and take healthy risks, leading to positive outcomes across life domains.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone

37. “A habit of expanding our comfort zone equips people to handle change and ambiguity with more poise, leading to resilience.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 38. “Face your fear. Even if it’s only a tiptoe outside of your comfort zone instead of a leap. Progress is progress.” —Anette White &nbsp 39. “Leaving behind the comfort zone doesn’t mean recklessly throwing caution to the wind. Every step forward is progress.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone

40. “You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” —Brian Tracy &nbsp 41. “My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I’ve pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.” —Alex Honnold &nbsp 42. “Your comfort zone is your danger zone.” —Greg Plitt

43. “You can settle for what you know – the seemingly safe, familiar, and routine. Or, you can become receptive to opportunities for growth, challenging your personal status quo and seeing what you’re capable of.” —Oliver Page, How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth’ Zone &nbsp 44. “You want to have the largest comfort zone possible — because the larger it is, the more masterful you feel in more areas of your life. When you have a large comfort zone, you can take risks that really shift you.” —Elizabeth Kuster, Expand Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 45. “Whatever is your norm, whatever your life is right now, whatever you’re not even thinking about changing — that’s your comfort zone… some people call it a rut. It’s not a rut; it’s life. It’s the things that are regular, that are predictable, that cause no mental or emotional strain and stress.” —Elizabeth Kuster, Expand Your Comfort Zone

46. “Give something up. Make it difficult. Make it scary. Make it be something you never thought you could achieve.” —Elizabeth Kuster, Expand Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 47. “There are clearly more tangible potential rewards for stepping outside your comfort zone, too – a better social life, a pay rise, more intimacy in a relationship, a new skill.” —Emine Saner, Escape Your Comfort Zone! How to Face Your Fears – and Improve Your Health Wealth and Happiness &nbsp 48. “You can’t avoid pain, but you can say yes to the pain, understanding that it is a part of life.” —Susan Jeffers

49. “Adaptation and stimulation are important parts of our wellbeing, and a huge part of our capacity to be resilient. We can get stagnant, and it is about growing and finding different ways to be, which then allows us to have a different life experience.” —Emine Saner, Escape Your Comfort Zone! How to Face Your Fears – and Improve Your Health Wealth and Happiness

Famous quotes about stepping out of your comfort zone

When you look at a lot of the most motivational people in history, it’s normal to only see success. But the truth is, many of their accomplishments come from their ability to push through discomfort. Don’t be so afraid of change that it keeps you from living up to your full potential.

1. “When you look at the best athletes, business people and actors, you will find they have one thing in common: they have all failed spectacularly at some point in their lives.” —Team Tony Robbins, 6 Tips to Leave Your Comfort Zone &nbsp 2. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt &nbsp 3. “Comfort zones: if you live in one too long – that becomes your norm. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” —David Goggins

4. “A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for.” —Albert Einstein &nbsp 5. “Unless you do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson &nbsp 6. “The only way that you’re ever going to get on the other side of this journey is by suffering. You have to suffer in order to grow. Some people get this, some people do not.” —David Goggins

7. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” —Unknown  &nbsp 8. “Everybody comes to a point in their life when they want to quit. But it’s what you do at that moment that determines who you are.” —David Goggins &nbsp 9. “The comfort zone is the great enemy of courage and confidence.” —Brian Tracy

10. “We have to be honest about what we want and take risks rather than lie to ourselves and make excuses to stay in our comfort zone.” —Roy T. Bennett &nbsp 11. “I thought I’d solved a problem when really I was creating new ones by taking the path of least resistance.” —David Goggins &nbsp 12. “The level of effort you tolerate from yourself will define your life.” —Tom Bilyeu

13. “There is no better way to grow as a person than to do every day something that you hate.” —David Goggins &nbsp 14. “All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.” —Tony Robbins &nbsp 15. “If you can get through doing things that you hate to do, on the other side is greatness.” —David Goggins

Common questions:

Is a comfort zone a good thing.

Having a comfort zone is not inherently a bad thing. Everybody has one, and it’s the zone that helps us feel safe and comfortable. It’s only when a person is afraid to leave this zone that it can become problematic.

Why is it important to get out of your comfort zone?

Leaving your comfort zone has many positive benefits, such as improved confidence, gaining new skills, and increasing your threshold for difficult times. New experiences will often require you to step outside of your comfort zone.

You might like to learn how to deal with one of the most common reasons people avoid leaving their comfort zone: fear of rejection .

Viktor is a Counselor specialized in interpersonal communication and relationships. He manages SocialSelf’s scientific review board. Follow on Twitter or read more .

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How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your ‘Growth Zone’

Sometimes the problem is not being aware of reasons to do so. After all, if the feeling of comfort signifies our most basic needs are being met, why should we seek to abandon it?

What holds people back most of the time is their frame of mind rather than any distinct lack of knowledge.

This article looks at the shifts in thinking required to step outside of comfort and into personal growth. Along the way, we’ll outline useful tools, tactics, and examples to help make leaving the comfort zone as rewarding as possible.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

What is the comfort zone in psychology, from comfort zone to the growth zone, benefits of leaving the comfort zone: 4 examples, 4 tips to support leaving your comfort zone, 7 ways to leave your comfort zone, 10 inspiring quotes, positivepsychology.com’s useful tools, a take-home message.

Now firmly embedded in cultural discourse, the metaphor of ‘leaving one’s comfort zone’ became popular in the 1990s. The phrase ‘comfort zone’ was coined by management thinker Judith Bardwick in her 1991 work Danger in the Comfort Zone :

“The comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.”

Within the comfort zone, there isn’t much incentive for people to reach new heights of performance. It’s here that people go about routines devoid of risk, causing their progress to plateau.

But the concept can be traced further back to the world of behavioral psychology.

In 1907, Robert Yerkes and John Dodson conducted one of the first experiments that illuminated a link between anxiety and performance.

They saw that mice became more motivated to complete mazes when given electric shocks of increasing intensity – but only up to a point. Above a certain threshold, they began to hide rather than perform.

Corresponding behavior has been seen in human beings. This makes sense because in response to anxiety-provoking stimuli, the options are either fight (meet the challenge), flight (run away/hide), or freeze (become paralyzed).

The Yerkes–Dodson Law (Yerkes & Dodson, 1907) is true not just for more tangible types of performance, such as being given a stressful new task at work, but also in many life areas such as understanding ourselves, relating to others, and so on.

The core idea is that our nervous systems have a Goldilocks zone of arousal. Too little, and you remain in the comfort zone, where boredom sets in. But too much, and you enter the ‘panic’ zone, which also stalls progress:

When leaving the comfort zone, fear doesn’t always equate to being in the panic zone. As the below diagram shows, fear can be a necessary step en route to the learning and growth zones:

Source: PositivePsychology.com Toolkit – ‘ Leaving The Comfort Zone’

It takes courage to step from the comfort zone into the fear zone. Without a clear roadmap, there’s no way to build on previous experiences. This can be anxiety provoking. Yet persevere long enough, and you enter the learning zone, where you gain new skills and deal with challenges resourcefully.

After a learning period, a new comfort zone is created, expanding one’s ability to reach even greater heights. This is what it means to be in the growth zone.

It’s important to state that like most behavioral change attempts, moving into the growth zone becomes harder without some level of self-awareness. Thus, it can be beneficial for clients to consider the following:

• How big are their zones? Across every life domain, everyone’s zones vary in size. To leave your comfort zone, you must appreciate its outer limits. Similarly, you must develop an intuitive sense of where your panic zone lies. Taking on challenges that lie somewhere in between will stretch you, leading to growth and learning.
• What are their strengths? Understanding and capitalizing on personal strengths can be of great use. Most people have experienced leaving the comfort zone in at least one area of life, and there are usually plenty of insights to be uncovered from this experience.

In reality, the process of moving from the comfort zone to a growth zone may not be linear. Peaks, troughs, and plateaus often complicate the journey. Sometimes, we even need to retreat to the comfort zone periodically before mustering the strength to leave again. Nevertheless, appreciating the steps can help in tolerating uncertainty.

While occupying the comfort zone, it’s tempting to feel safe, in control, and that the environment is on an even keel. It’s smooth sailing.

The best sailors, however, aren’t born in smooth waters.

We’ll explore a few powerful benefits of leaving the comfort zone in the next section.

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Aside from enhancing performance, there are plenty of less-direct benefits of leaving the comfort zone. A full list would require a separate article, so here are four top-line, broadly applicable examples.

1. Self-actualization

For many, self-actualization acts as a powerful incentive to leave the comfort zone. The concept was popularized through Abraham Maslow’s (1943) theory of human motivation, which he described as follows: “ What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization. ”

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs operates like a ladder, with the satisfaction of our ‘basic’ and ‘psychological’ needs being analogous to inhabiting the comfort zone. But whether we’re conscious of it or not, the theory argues our next requirement is for personal growth and fulfillment.

As long as the decision to leave the comfort zone aligns with a person’s values, this shift is akin to making a bid for self-actualization. Why is this important? For one, not striving for growth could mean falling into a state of inertia later in life.

2. Development of a growth mindset

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s (2008) work on mindsets marked a paradigm shift in the field of positive psychology. Her research distinguished between two contrasting belief systems – the fixed versus growth mindsets.

With a fixed mindset, people believe they have set doses of each ability, with a corresponding ceiling on how much they can achieve. Failure reveals inadequacy, and criticism becomes a fatal blow to self-esteem .

The growth mindset means recognizing humans as malleable. From this stance, setbacks become opportunities for learning (Dweck, 1999) and our potential becomes unlimited.

Intentionally leaving the comfort zone goes hand-in-hand with developing a growth mindset. While the fixed mindset keeps us trapped by fear of failure, the growth mindset expands the possible. It inspires us to learn and take healthy risks, leading to positive outcomes across life domains.

3. Resilience and antifragility

Life isn’t exactly a predictable affair; perhaps then, people shouldn’t be either. Sooner or later, everyone faces adversity. A habit of expanding our comfort zone equips people to handle change and ambiguity with more poise, leading to resilience.

Taking this further, statistician Nassim Taleb (2012) introduced the concept of ‘antifragile’ systems, which “ thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors. ” Examples include evolution and immune systems, as well as the human psyche.

While resilient systems bounce back to the same level after a shock, antifragile systems learn to grow from them, reaching new heights. To step outside the comfort zone then is to purposefully cultivate antifragility – so long as we don’t veer into the panic zone!

4. Greater self-efficacy

As outlined by Albert Bandura (1997), self-efficacy is the belief in being able to execute necessary actions in service of a goal. Goals that lead to higher self-efficacy are specific, not too difficult, and short-term (Yailagh, Lloyd, & Walsh, 2009).

Leaving the comfort zone means a phase of trial and error, during which at least some level of success is inevitable. Experiencing this success builds our self-efficacy , with belief in our ability starting to grow.

Like other benefits of leaving the comfort zone, this probably won’t happen overnight. Yet the cumulative upward spiral of achievement and confidence can become a potent asset for anyone.

What follows are four useful tips to support clients in leaving their comfort zones. These are a mix of mindset tips and practical guidance on setting goals.

1. Reframe stress

Physiologically, there’s no difference between anxiety and excitement (Smith, Bradley, & Lang, 2005). Both entail a ‘stress response,’ but whether they’re perceived as positive or negative is a matter of labeling.

Society tends to conceptualize all stress as ‘bad,’ but the idea of ‘ eustress ’ or ‘positive stress’ challenges this. Eustress provides the energy to get through a public speech, go on a romantic date, and so on. These stimuli can be reframed as exciting, propelling us out of the comfort zone.

2. Understand neuroplasticity

An essential step toward internalizing the growth mindset is to embrace neuroplasticity research . Once understood, less courage is needed to make the first move away from comfort because failure itself becomes integral to the journey.

At the core of Dweck’s theory is that humans are malleable and adaptable. Another good way to appreciate her philosophy is by watching this TED talk:

3. Prioritize

Occupying the comfort zone isn’t always detrimental. For example, it might be reasonable to stay in your ukulele-playing comfort zone but not your managing-personal-finances one.

The point is to identify bottlenecks: areas of life where being too comfortable does more harm than good. Encourage goal selectivity in clients so they can focus effectively.

4. Small steps

It’s okay to take small, methodical steps, as well as larger, bolder ones. Leaving behind the comfort zone doesn’t mean recklessly throwing caution to the wind. Every step forward is progress.

Patiently fostering self-awareness while intelligently assessing each zone’s boundaries is a sure way to make the process as smooth as possible.

Do you find it difficult to take on new challenges and step into the unknown?

Does the uncertainty of leaving your current space cause you immense fear?   To have a growth mindset is to believe that our most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (Dweck, 2008).

But how do we do this? Featured in our Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a tool titled ‘Leaving the Comfort Zone’, which was designed as a visual aid for us to understand the costs of staying in our comfort zone and the necessity to leave this zone to experience growth.

• The yellow circle represents our comfort zone. It is the space in which we feel safe and in control. Here, things come easy to us. We know what to do and what to expect. However, no learning or growth takes place here.
• To learn and grow, we must leave the comfort zone and step into the fear zone. The fear zone is uncomfortable and uncertain. We do not know what to expect and cannot build on our previous experiences. We may even retreat back into our comfort zone if the fear becomes too much. This is the most challenging part of our journey to learning and growth.
• If we can muster the courage to endure the fear zone, we come out on the other side, the learning zone. Here we can begin to acquire new skills and learn to deal with challenges and problems, ultimately extending our comfort zone.
• When we stay long enough in the learning zone, we begin to experience that we can change and start redefining ourselves in terms of what we can do, achieve, and feel comfortable with. Over time, we enter the growth zone and experience changes on a personal level.

Leaving the comfort zone requires courage and feeling through fear, but it takes us toward learning and growth.

Having covered the what, why, and how of leaving your comfort zone, let’s now cover seven ways someone might try to do so.

1. Do everyday things differently.

In everyday life, there are ample opportunities to challenge yourself. Turn off your smartphone and television while having dinner, decide what to wear more quickly, or just slow down to take in the surroundings on a walk. These changes break you out of old, comfortable routines.

2. Expand your professional skillset.

Growing your skillset can foster creativity and refresh your self-confidence , as well as increase employability. Skills like public speaking, negotiation, and leadership can represent a new challenge for many people. Investing in them can build resilience, personal satisfaction, and open up more opportunities than ever.

3. Try a new diet.

Many people want to improve their diets and stop relying on ‘comfort foods.’ Doing so often means trying something new.

Sticking to a healthy diet can be as challenging as it is rewarding, with self-efficacy growing as you hit milestone goals along the way.

4. Take workouts to the next level.

Similarly, many aspire to this goal. For some, it can mean running their first 5K, but for others, it might be completing a triathlon.

Aiming high with exercise is emblematic of leaving the comfort zone and a great way to get the ball rolling.

5. Get creative.

Creativity – anything from writing a poem to building a business – usually involves an element of risk. Creative endeavors are about stepping into the unknown, with failing and subsequent learning as expected outcomes.

Exercising creativity is a good way to train yourself to have a growth mindset and let go of a need for perfection from the outset.

6. Challenge your beliefs.

While exploring alternative perspectives can be uncomfortable, it enables growth and insight by challenging entrenched beliefs.

This might take several forms, such as reading varied book genres, diversifying who you talk to, and visiting new places. It’s easy to get stuck in our ways, but this can lead to complacency – a hallmark of being in the comfort zone.

7. Practice honesty.

When employed sensitively, honesty can be a tremendous catalyst for personal growth. Whether being straight with yourself in a private journal or telling someone close how you feel, honesty forces people out of their comfort zone. Through honest communication, we can understand ourselves better and build deeper bonds with others.

Here are ten quotes that encapsulate many of the ideas discussed:

All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.

Tony Robbins

You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.

Brian Tracy

My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I’ve pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.

Alex Honnold

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Becoming is better than being. The fixed mindset does not allow people the luxury of becoming. They have to already be.

Carol Dweck

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.

Abraham Maslow

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

Benjamin Franklin

You have calibrated life when most of what you fear has the titillating prospect of adventure.

Nassim Taleb

The level of effort you tolerate from yourself will define your life.

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.

Nelson Mandela

17 Tools To Increase Motivation and Goal Achievement

These 17 Motivation & Goal Achievement Exercises [PDF] contain all you need to help others set meaningful goals, increase self-drive, and experience greater accomplishment and life satisfaction.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

PositivePsychology.com is an excellent repository of tools you can leverage in supporting clients to leave their comfort zones behind.

We have a range of various worksheets and exercises designed to help people enter the growth zone and realize their potential.

Here are three examples:

• Learning New Skills This tool encourages clients to reflect on times when new skills. The exercise can help clients normalize the .anxiety, apprehension, and even fear that can prevent them from leaving their comfort zone.
• Breaking Out Of the Comfort Zone This tool helps clients identify habits or common practices that make their life more fixed. Using the table, they are invited to come up with new and challenging activities to pursue that will make them more ready to deal with the unfamiliar or unexpected.
• Adopt a Growth Mindset This intervention moves people toward the growth mindset by providing them with phrases to correct fixed mindset thoughts.

An additional resource that may seem bizarre yet revealing is titled Funeral Meditation . For any client reluctant to depart from a comfortable routine, reflecting on their future funeral could be a remarkable incentive to step into a growth mindset.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others reach their goals, this collection contains 17 validated motivation & goals-achievement tools for practitioners . Use them to help others turn their dreams into reality by applying the latest science-based behavioral change techniques.

Recognizing opportunities to leave the comfort zone isn’t always easy; neither is seizing them with conviction.

It’s crucial to cultivate a mindset that lays strong foundations, paving the way toward the growth zone. This includes seeing yourself as inherently adaptable, reframing stress, and believing in your ability to endure fears and doubts.

Every person faces this choice, knowingly or not. You can settle for what you know – the seemingly safe, familiar, and routine. Or, you can become receptive to opportunities for growth, challenging your personal status quo and seeing what you’re capable of.

When this becomes a habit, the benefits to be reaped throughout life are copious. Not only are disappointments curbed and regrets avoided, but we also reach our highest human potential, acting as an inspiration to others.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free .

• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company.
• Bardwick, J. (1991). Danger in the comfort zone: From boardroom to mailroom – How to break the entitlement habit that’s killing American business . American Management Association.
• Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development . Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.
• Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success . New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
• Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation, Psychological Review , 50 , 370–396.
• Smith, J. C., Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (2005). State anxiety and affective physiology: Effects of sustained exposure to affective pictures. Biological Psychology , 69 , 247–260.
• Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder . New York, NY: Random House.
• Yailagh, M. S., Lloyd, J., & Walsh, J. (2009). The causal relationships between attribution styles, mathematics self-efficacy beliefs, gender differences, goal setting, and mathematics achievement of school children. Journal of Education & Psychology , 3 , 95–114.
• Yerkes, R., & Dodson, J. (1907). The dancing mouse, A study in animal behavior, Journal of Comparative Neurology & Psychology , 18 , 459–482.

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What our readers think.

Fantastic! I’m currently experiencing anxiety due to (situation) and this was exactly what I needed!!

thanks! alot of information

Mine is my emotions. I get emotional A lot. I can’t really stop it. I’m working on it with a counselor right now.

I agree! Everyone should jump out of their comfort zones eventually or at least attempt to! Mine is Public speaking and Im taking a class that will hopefully help me with that!

Hi Jessica,

That’s fantastic! Public speaking can indeed be daunting, but it’s great that you’re taking steps to overcome this challenge. Remember, growth often happens outside our comfort zones. Best of luck with your class! Keep practicing, and soon enough, you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident in public speaking.

Kind regards, Julia | Community Manager

a very interesting, encouraging and inspirational topic, I was made to understand that to be an achiever. you most move away from your comfort zone.

Thank You! We all need to get out of our comfort zone in order to grow to the next level according to the goals we have in life!

Very good article.I just decided to leave my comfort zone and spotted this website.Very helpfull with the tools & tips!

Thank you for sharing, I am greatly inspired. I have been stuck for a very long time. Am already working on myself to come out of my comfort zone and am happy that i have taken some of the steps mentioned here

I would love to try ‘be honest in all situations’ as my challenge. I agree

it have been very important article to make a choice to get out of my comfort zone. very powerful Dr.

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3 Goal Achievement Exercises Pack

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Is It Time to Leave Your Comfort Zone? How Leaving Can Spark Positive Change

Getting outside your comfort zone can feel like a daunting task. But there are simple steps to pushing yourself to achieve what you want.

Jessica A. Kent

You hear it all the time: Step out of your comfort zone. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Nothing grows in your comfort zone.

But is that true? Can getting uncomfortable and enduring the stress that comes with it really help you grow as a person, move you towards achieving your goals, and push you forward to the next stage of your life?

Let’s unpack what “getting outside your comfort zone” means and how it can be your new tool for achieving the life you desire.

The Science of the Comfort Zone

So you want to run a 5k. You see a 5k raising money for a good cause, and you’ve always wanted to run one, so you sign up.

But you’re not a runner — the most fitness you get is walking between classes — so you know being able to run that 5k is going to take some work and be a bit of a challenge.

In other words, you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone, or your place of greatest security, and get uncomfortable in order to achieve that particular goal.

How do you know where that boundary is — and is the “comfort zone” even a real thing?

The idea of comfort zones is rooted in research conducted by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908. They developed the Yerkes–Dodson Law , which states that performance increases as stress increases, and performance decreases as stress decreases.

However, at a certain point, high levels of stress inhibit performance.

In the context of our 5k example, this means that while you may just want to just walk on a treadmill to train, there’s not much stress in doing so and therefore no increase in performance. However, when you apply stress by upping the speed on the treadmill, it gets a little harder and you have to jog.

Now you’re actually training. But, setting the speed of the treadmill too high to start won’t be beneficial and may result in injury or propelling you off the treadmill altogether.

The Benefits of Leaving Your Comfort Zone

As you train for your 5k, you can see how speeding up your walking pace and pushing yourself to jog — getting outside your comfort zone — can help you develop the fitness, stamina, and mental fortitude to run your race.

But there are a number of benefits to moving outside of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to grow beyond just crossing the finish line.

Achieving your goals . Not everything you want to achieve in life will be easy. By moving beyond your comfort zone into the growth zone, you’ll be able to do just that: grow. You’ll find yourself becoming more productive, achieving more, and reaching the goals you set for yourself — if you’re willing to put in the work.

Boosting your self-confidence . Accomplishment brings self-confidence, especially if you worked hard, challenged yourself, and saw it through. And the boost in self-confidence you get after achieving one goal can push you to achieve more.

Expanding your world . Stepping out of your comfort zone means learning new things, meeting new people, seeing new places, and trying new experiences. All of these can serve to help expand your awareness of the world and how you fit into it and may introduce you to new interests or areas of study you want to explore.

Building your resilience . Challenging yourself to move outside your comfort zone can increase your resilience as well. You’ll gain more confidence in how you handle failure or setbacks and become more comfortable with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.

Giving you self-agency: Finally, by stepping outside your comfort zone often, you’ll learn more about yourself and gain more control over how you want your life to look and what you want to do with it.

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Why It’s Hard to Leave the Comfort Zone — and When You Should

If it was easy to leave your comfort zone, there probably wouldn’t be so much talk about it.

But it’s not easy to do. Moving into that learning or growth zone requires that aforementioned stress, and will likely require facing some anxiety, uncertainty, and a little bit of fear. Yet as humans, we’re wired for survival, and naturally shy away from those perceived threats as much as we can.

This is one of the reasons why it’s so hard to step out of our comfort zones.

Individuals who do want to do it must be mentally prepared. They must also be prepared to change habits and mindsets that may keep them in their comfort zone.

How do you know if you need to step out of your comfort zone and push yourself towards some new things and new experiences?

If you’re not growing or learning new things. You’re not taking chances in your life. You’re not fulfilling your goals or dreams. If you find yourself wondering why you’re not accomplishing things you want to accomplish — making new friends, getting better grades — then it’s time to look at areas where you might be a little too comfortable and passive.

However, it’s also not healthy to push yourself too far all the time. Being in a constant state of high stress can take its toll; humans need to return to the safety of their comfort zone every so often.

Just like you wouldn’t train on the treadmill all day, but may just put in an hour or two, you should step outside of your comfort zone for only certain lengths of time.

How to Leave Your Comfort Zone

Sometimes we’re forced out of our comfort zone by our situations and have to adapt in the moment. But if you want to actively move yourself out of your comfort zone, here’s how to get started.

Set a goal . First, decide what you want to achieve and set a goal. Make it a SMART goal: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

For example, don’t just set a goal of wanting to run a 5k. Set a goal that you want to run a 5k on a specific date, achieve a time of 30 minutes or less, and run or jog the whole race, not walk.

Make a plan . Once you have your specific goal, now you can make a plan to achieve it. If a 5k is on a certain date, you know how long you have to train. If you want to be able to run or jog the whole way, you need to increase your ability and stamina to get to that point before the race. Make a plan for how you’ll get to your goal, which will include steps that move you out of your comfort zone.

Take action . Start working towards your goal, following the plan that you’ve created. As you do, you’ll likely run into the following:

• Finding your boundary: As you begin the work, you’ll be able to find where your comfort zone line is and when you’re pushing past it. Maybe you thought running at a certain speed would be challenging, yet you find that it’s actually pretty easy so you increase your speed to have it be more of a challenge. Look for these shifts in your comfort zone boundary.
• Confronting your fears: As you move outside of your comfort zone, you may need to face some of your fears as your stress increases. If you’re someone that lets discomfort derail them from action, you may need to get used to that discomfort in order to grow. If you tend to have some limiting beliefs about yourself, you may need to reassess those beliefs as you push forward.

Adjust as you go . Realize that you may not always be successful in your efforts. Everyone has a bad day or two when trying to accomplish something, so don’t let it derail you from achieving your goal.

However, if you’re constantly feeling like the tasks are too hard, you may have gone past your growth zone into the panic zone. Reassess your plan to see how you can simplify the tasks.

Assess and make new goals . Now that you’ve achieved your goal, assess how it felt to move outside your comfort zone. You may realize it actually wasn’t as bad as you thought, and want to do it again.

You probably already know the areas in your life where you need to step more outside of your comfort zone.

Here are some suggestions on activities you can tackle to help you grow:

• Take a class in a subject area you know nothing about but want to learn — or take a summer course at Harvard Summer School
• Go to a social event and meet new people, especially if doing so is challenging to you
• Travel to somewhere you’ve never been before — even if it’s just across town
• Have a difficult conversation you might be putting off
• Learn a new hobby or skill
• Volunteer with an organization in a role that takes you outside your comfort zone

Crossing the Finish Line — and Looking for the Next Challenge

It’s race day! You’ve made your plan for the 5k, committed to training, got outside your comfort zone, and achieved your goal of running the race in under 30 minutes!

Think about not just the achievement, but about the ways in which you grew as a person by pushing yourself outside your comfort zone during the process.

Knowing more about your comfort zone and what it means to step outside of it can help you face new goals, projects, and adventure head on.

And knowing that a little added stress can actually help you grow, expand your world, and increase your self-confidence will help you become more adaptable and open to change as well.

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About the Author

Jessica A. Kent is a freelance writer based in Boston, Mass. and a Harvard Extension School alum. Her digital marketing content has been featured on Fast Company, Forbes, Nasdaq, and other industry websites; her essays and short stories have been featured in North American Review, Emerson Review, Writer’s Bone, and others.

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Project Life Mastery

Motivational Speech for Success: Step out of Your Comfort Zone

Today, I have a powerful motivational speech for you. If you want to achieve your goals and dreams in life, you need to wake up and go beyond your comfort zone .

We all have a zone of comfort, which is comprised of a consistent set of beliefs and behaviours that we’ve grown accustomed to. According to Alan Henry, the editor in chief of  Lifehacker ,  “Your comfort zone is neither a good or bad thing. It's a natural state that most people trend towards.”

When we live in a comfort zone, we feel safe, but the problem with this place is that nothing ever grows here. Life becomes predictable. If you don’t go beyond your comfort zone, you will never be able to become the person that you aspire to be. Growth and comfort do not co-exist.

It’s time to wake up and  go beyond your comfort zone.  In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

At one point in my life, I was stuck in my comfort zone. I always knew that the life that I desired was possible, but I didn’t take action. I was distracted, I was a dabbler, and I was fearful.

In order to find some clarity, I decided to write a letter to my future self about my goals, dreams, and aspirations. In that letter, I asked myself:

“Stefan, what are you afraid of? I’m your hopes and goals. I wanted you as much as you wanted me, but you left me with no choice. I simply must move on. Please do not attempt to talk your way out of this. The years of indecision and lack of discipline tells me everything that I need to know. If you really wanted me, you would have found a way for us to be together. I’m so tired of seeing my hopes soar so high, just to see them dashed. I simply must move on.”

This was a letter that changed my life . It really opened me up to doing what was necessary in order to change my life. Sometimes you need to look in the mirror and have an honest conversation with yourself.

Unfortunately, a lot of people tell themselves stories about why they can’t do something, and these negative beliefs keep them stuck in a cycle of despair.

Someone once said that, “The naked truth is always better than the best-dressed lie.” If you want to change your life , you need to get real with yourself. The truth will set you free.

If you want to have more, you need to become more, which is why you need to put yourself in challenging circumstances and get out of your comfort zone. There is no better way to conquer your fears. To this day, I am constantly pushing my limits and engaging in actions that allow me to grow.

In the words of Eddie Harris Jr., “The sooner that you step away from your comfort zone, the sooner you will realize that it really wasn’t all that comfortable.” Everything that you want in life is on the other side of fear. It's time to wake up and go beyond your comfort zone. Are you ready?

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will inspire you to go beyond your comfort zone every day? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!

Project Life Mastery delivers the self-development advice you need to improve and master every area of your life.

We provide world-class content, training, and coaching to maximize the potential in your personal and business life. Everything from physical fitness, to emotional mindset, to relationships, to your financial freedom blend together to turn you into an unstoppably extraordinary person with an unstoppably extraordinary life.

Whether you need online business advice, personal development coaching, or both, Project Life Mastery will guide you on your best path to mastery.

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The importance of leaving your comfort zone

By Madelaine McBride

We all have a comfort zone. I have one. You have one. Personally, I like mine – it’s safe, warm, and predictable. Nothing unpleasant can ever occur within my comfort zone bubble.

Often I would love nothing more than to cocoon myself within the inviting folds of my comfort zone forever, and for years that’s what I did. But once I came to college I learned you cannot live in a bubble. Surprisingly, while there was some initial resistance, I didn’t actually mind popping my bubble.

Neither should you.

By nature, a comfort zone is comfortable. Typically you will only have things you like in there. For example, say you, like a lot of other people, dislike public speaking. Your perfect world, then, is a happy place where public speaking never takes place.

Then you come to college, and things change. One day you’re pursuing the list of credits you have to achieve in order to graduate and you notice you are required to take a speech class. You don’t want to take speech – it’s outside your comfort zone – but it’s required so, begrudgingly, you take the class.

But just that step of taking the class provides enough momentum to push you out of your comfort zone to do what you never thought you could do: give a speech. And maybe it’s horrible. Or maybe it’s amazing. It doesn’t matter how it went, what matters is that you did it at all.

Leaving your comfort zone allows you to learn you can do things you never thought possible. Perhaps for you that’s not public speaking, but maybe talking to the cute boy or girl in your chemistry class is, or moving to a new city, or skydiving. Some of these things are small, others are large, but they are all important because you did them.

Doing these types of things can help you learn more about yourself. Perhaps after you take speech class and learn it wasn’t as horrible as you were anticipating, you take a class where a large portion of your grade is determined by an oral presentation on a subject of your choosing. For a moment, you panic. Not only do you have to give speech, but it has to be a full-blown presentation, and you have to research about a subject that you have to choose.

However, whether you realize it or not you have already taken the first and hardest step out of your comfort zone by taking speech class. Subsequent steps won’t be as hard. So you take those steps, not necessarily by choice, but you still take them. And by taking those steps you begin to learn. Researching and prepping for your presentation could lead you to discover a potential career path you’d never thought of before. Or maybe you learn how to put together better PowerPoints, or how to facilitate discussions. Would you have learned those things by staying in your comfort zone? Probably not.

This learning, this stretching, this leaving your comfort zone – they all cause you to grow. Giving your presentation could cause you to realize that you actually enjoy presenting on topics that interest you. Then you could realize you might want to have a job that involves those things.

That’s how it happened for me.

Originally I wanted to stay in my comfort zone forever and never given a speech. But I had to take speech class, which led on to other things that eventually led me to realize the type of career I want to have.

None of that would have happened if I had allowed myself to stay in my comfort zone forever.

This is why I implore the rest of you to follow my example and kiss your comfort zones goodbye. I know it’s hard; it might be the most difficult thing I ever did. But it was also the most important. I believe you will discover leaving your comfort zone was worth it in the end as well.

So do the impossible. Learn all you can. And most importantly grow into the person you are meant to be.

It really is worth it.

Heidi Paxson

One thought on “ the importance of leaving your comfort zone ”.

Another vote for “speech class isn’t that horrible and you will live through it.” I will take that as a ringing endorsement. Woo hoo! 🙂

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5 TED Talks That Will Give You Courage To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

This post was originally published in March 2019 but has been updated to include further video.

There are lots of things that make us uncomfortable. Like speaking up and voicing our opinions in public, doing things we find difficult, or introducing ourselves to new people at events. The list goes on.

Getting out of your comfort zone might be difficult, but it’s what we all need to do if we want to get the most out of life, be more successful and achieve the things we want. So, to help you push past those uncomfortable moments here’s a collection of the most inspiring TED Talks that will give you the courage to get out of your comfort zone.

COURAGE TO BE VULNERABLE

Brene brown – listening to shame.

Being vulnerable shows that you’re human. It can help you connect with people in a very real way and help you build relationships. As someone who is definitely an under-sharer, I know first hand that showing your emotions and being vulnerable with people definitely isn’t easy for everyone.

Brene Brown is a renowned research professor. She has spent decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, so she knows a thing or two about the power of each, the impact they can have on us and the importance of choosing  courage over comfort in our lives.

COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF

Rosie king – how autism freed me to be myself.

We all know the power of being authentic and how important it is to “be yourself”. After all, when you look around you can see that the most successful people are the ones who do their thing,  innovate, stand out and aren’t afraid to be different, even if that means ruffling a few feathers. But in reality, it’s not always easy to be yourself. While we might have graduated beyond trying to fit in with the cool kids, there are still those times when we can’t help but look around and wish we were more like someone else. Comparing ourselves and feeling inadequate, rather than accepting ourselves for who we are and recognizing our own strengths and qualities.

Rosie King is bold, brash and autistic. In this thought-provoking talk, she asks why is everyone is so worried about being normal?

EMOTIONAL COURAGE

Susan david – the gift and power of emotional courage.

One thing that’s critical for success in your career is resilience. And resilience comes when you are able to effectively deal with setbacks and negative things that arise, and bounce back. In order to do this, you need to deal with your emotions. How do you deal with your emotions? While it might be tempting to push negative emotions down and avoid feeling them, this isn’t great for your mental health. Whether it’s anger, fear, sadness or anything else, emotions need to be dealt with. Here, Psychologist, Susan David, shares how the way we deal with our emotions shapes everything that matters. From our family life and careers to our health, wellbeing, and happiness.

COURAGE TO TAKE ACTION

Yubing Zhang – Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone

I once went to a Thorpe Park theme park. There was this new ride that was all the rage. After queueing up for what felt like forever, I couldn’t bring myself to get on! I just stood there and ended up backing out. Now, I later went back there and got on the ride because I hated that the fear had got the better of me and when I did, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I expected it would be!

The point is, we’ve all had something in our lives that we wanted, but for one reason or another, we were too scared to go for it. Perhaps you wanted to experience traveling somewhere but you were are afraid to go alone, so you put it off, perhaps there’s a job you really want but you’re afraid to go for it because you’re scared you might such at it. Whatever it is that you’re not doing, the thing that’s standing in your way is the fear of what might happen if you take action.

Here, Yubing Zhang shows us that taking those scary actions and getting out of your comfort zone is what leads to the best things in life.

COURAGE TO FACE DISCOMFORT

Luvvie ajayi – get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Luvvie Ajayi is a writer, activist and describes herself as a troublemaker. She’s one of those people we love because she says the things we’re all thinking but we’re too afraid to say.

If you’ve ever afraid to speak up, voice your opinion, and say what needed to be said, then you were probably relieved that there was a Luvvie in the room. Here, she encourages more of us to get comfortable with being uncomfortable because Luvvie isn’t scared to speak up and nor should you be.

COURAGE TO LEAN INTO YOUR FEARS

Cindy Duggan – Learning to use your fear

Ok, so this is not a TED talk, but I couldn’t resist sharing as this is such an inspiring video and well worth a watch.

Cindy Duggan is not only a Success Coach & Motivational Speaker, but she’s also a trained Drilling & Completions Engineer and Yoga & Meditation Instructor.  

In this inspiring video, Cindy discusses the topic of fear and shares how she’s managed to make such a success of herself using her own fears to drive and motivate her instead of letting them hold her back! A skill that we could all do with learning.  

If like so many people, you’re not taking action on the things you want purely out of fear, then you need to watch this video.

Now that you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone …

Find out how to find a career that fits this year … some of these steps might mean getting outside of your comfort zone!

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Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

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18 Best Strategies to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Last Updated: August 24, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Arda Ozdemir, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A. . Arda Ozdemir is the Executive Coach and Founder of Rise 2 Realize, a nonprofit organization in Palo Alto, California that is dedicated to providing a practical roadmap toward one's full potential in their life and career. Arda is a Reiki Master, an Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner, and a certified HeartMath Trainer and Mentor. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 864,077 times.

It can certainly be challenging and a little scary to step out of your comfort zone, but facing unfamiliar challenges can help you feel happier and more fulfilled in the long run. You can end up discovering a lot about yourself and your abilities when you make an effort to take risks and try new things. To help you begin this transformation, we’ve rounded up the best, most effective strategies for stepping out of your comfort zone, embarking on new adventures, and expanding your personal horizons.

Acknowledge your fears.

• Ask yourself if you’re making excuses to avoid leaving your comfort zone. For example, did you turn down a project because you didn’t have time, or because you were afraid of presenting in front of your peers?
• It might help to keep a journal and write down your honest thoughts and feelings. When you’re done, read back over what you wrote and see if you can identify any patterns in your behavior or thinking.

Set goals for yourself.

• For example, you might want to step out of your comfort zone and make more friends to combat feelings of loneliness. With this reason in mind, you might then make it a goal to talk to new people at work or school.

Picture your ideal reality to motivate yourself.

• Another example would be if you took a chance and joined a volunteer organization. Some of the best things that could happen include making new friends, discovering a new passion of yours, and feeling a sense of pride toward the work you’re doing.

Reframe discomfort as progress.

• Stay positive by practicing gratitude . Remind yourself of the good things you have in your life and all of the progress you’ve already made.

Take small steps to overcome challenges.

• Think of this list like a to-do list and make each item as specific as possible.
• For example, if talking to new people makes you uncomfortable, add items like, “Ask for directions from someone,” “Talk to a store clerk,” and “Make conversation with a stranger.”

Research new experiences ahead of time.

• For example, if you’re moving to New York City but don't know anything about it, research the different neighborhoods you could live in, how to navigate the subway system, and all the fun things you can do in the city.
• Utilize community forums like Reddit or Quora to read about other people’s experiences and advice.
• Always practice caution and use your best judgment when consulting information on the internet.

Make small changes to your daily habits.

• For example, try new foods, go to a new grocery store instead of your usual shop, or listen to a different genre of music. Every day is a chance to learn something new.

Look for completely new experiences.

• For example, try out a new sport, sign up for a class that sounds interesting, travel to a new city or country, or make an effort to make new friends.
• It’s okay to break up these experiences into smaller steps. For example, if you want to try writing and publishing a short story to step out of your comfort zone, start by writing 500 words a day to get into the flow of writing.

Change your environment to help you grow.

• Another example would be prepping your gym bag the night before if your goal is to work out every morning. This reduces the amount of work you have to do in the morning, so there’s no excuse not to head to the gym once you get up.

Reward yourself for trying new things.

• For example, each time you step out of your comfort zone and talk to a new person, you might reward yourself with reading a chapter of a book you love.

Minimize your discomfort to gain courage.

• As another example, if talking to big groups in large, noisy settings makes you uneasy, find a quieter place to talk to eliminate one of the things that makes you uncomfortable.

Let yourself make mistakes.

• Instead of berating yourself for doing something wrong, be sure to point out the things you did well and compliment yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small.

Be kind to yourself.

• Using positive affirmations can help change your perspective on your fears and your own abilities. If you believe you can do something, you’ll be much more motivated to try it.

Bring a buddy for support.

• Or, if you’re nervous when it comes to public speaking, practice giving a speech in front of your friends and family first.
• If you have a friend who’s also trying to do things that fall outside of their comfort zone, use this as an opportunity to tackle your challenges together and support one another.

Surround yourself with supportive people.

Follow in a role model’s footsteps.

• Think about your role model’s worldviews and values as well. Are these things that you can relate to? Do you think their outlook can help you take steps out of your comfort zone?

Give yourself an ultimatum for motivation.

• Rather than tangible consequences, it can also be effective to think about the things you might be forfeiting by not taking risks.
• For example, remind yourself that not applying for a new job means you won’t get the pay raise you want or the opportunity to move to a new city.

Use the worst-case scenario to rationalize your fears.

• Avoid answering your question with unlikely possibilities like, “I could get fired” if you’re thinking about your job. If you find yourself thinking such things, go back and ask yourself how realistic those outcomes actually are.
• Let's say you want to take a cross-country road trip, but all you can think about is getting stranded if you break down or run out of gas. Prepare by making a plan for this. For example, bring along an extra gas tank and a radio to get in touch with emergency services.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://hbr.org/2016/07/if-youre-not-outside-your-comfort-zone-you-wont-learn-anything
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/06/10/how-to-step-out-of-your-comfort-zone-and-achieve-the-impossible/?sh=3226457a2a89
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2023/01/30/how-to-get-comfortable-taking-risks-according-to-these-eight-entrepreneurs/?sh=29bd41c63992
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shift-mind/201108/breaking-free-your-comfort-zone
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/phobias.html
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/04/26/overcoming-fear-10-ways-to-step-outside-your-comfort-zone/#773281b3882d
• ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/the-importance-of-stepping-out-of-your-comfort-zone/
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashiraprossack1/2022/02/28/5-ways-to-step-outside-of-your-comfort-zone/?sh=3896aeff6ed8
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/04/17/13-mental-tricks-to-get-yourself-out-of-your-comfort-zone/?sh=1145fa8e5ec4
• ↑ https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1262726.pdf
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/04/26/overcoming-fear-10-ways-to-step-outside-your-comfort-zone/#59699d1e882d

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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If you want to step out of your comfort zone, try starting with small things so it doesn’t seem like a big jump. For example, talk to a stranger at the grocery store or listen to a new genre of music. Once these small challenges become a daily routine, you’ll find it much easier to tackle bigger challenges. You can also ask a friend to join you for support in doing an activity that’s outside your comfort zone, like an exercise class or skydiving. If you’re feeling stressed about the activity, take deep breaths to help calm yourself down. Remember to approach your challenge with a positive outlook, which will encourage you to take it head on. For instance, if you’re worried about applying for a promotion at work because you don’t think you’ll get it, imagine what it would be like if you did get it. For tips from our co-author on how to break up larger challenges into manageable steps, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone (101 Practical Examples)

December 24, 2018 by admin 3 Comments

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

• 1.1 How To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone (11 Tips)
• 1.2 Actions You Can Do Do Step Out of Your Comfort Zone (Uncomfortable Things)
• 1.3 135 Ways To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• 1.4.1 Conclusion To Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

We are a lot like caged lions. We have the ability to rule our kingdom. To take dominion over our territory. To lead ourselves to our goals. But we don’t because we are confined by the cage that we build ourselves. AKA our comfort zone.

Where dreams die, where aspirations fizzle, where hopes are crushed. It is a toxic place that holds us back from living an abundant life. I am not just talking financially abundant. I am talking about love, friendship, spiritual, travel. EVERYTHING.

The more we retreat to the comfort zone, the bigger this waste land get’s. But the more we escape the comfort zone, the more we are able to break through the walls that we build. Escaping to the other side. Where happiness and courage lives.

And just remember that some of the best things that have came out of our lives came from times where we stepped outside our comfort zones. Even potentially conquered it.

Also, we link uncomfortable things to pain. But when it comes to getting out of your comfort zone, you are simply sacrificing short term pain for long term pleasure and victory.

This is a shift that we can make when looking out the things we want to overcome.

But how do we break to this other side more readily and often?

Well below I offer you tips on how to do so as well as actual actionable ways to do so that you can start doing TODAY.

Enjoy my good friends.

How To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone (11 Tips)

Switch Up Easy Stuff

The first easy step to getting out of your comfort zone is to simply switch things up. Start with going down different streets on the way home. Use the hand opposite of your dominant hand to brush your teeth in the morning. Tie your shoe on the other side of where you usually start first. Go workout at a new gym. Wake up ten minutes early. Switch the furniture up around your house or even face your bed a different direction.

All of these things are small, but will get us in the head space of feeling discomfort and proceeding forward anyways.

Push Through Physical Resistance

The other way to break out of your comfort zone is do things that are physically uncomfortable. This includes things like waking up early, not hitting the snooze button, continuing working when you are tired and have the option to give up. Even things like taking cold showers. When we push ourselves physically, we naturally make our mental strength stronger. This is the key to STAY outside our comfort zones and creating an expansion on the zone itself.

Stream Of Consciousness

Write down every single thing that comes to mind that you think is good about stepping out of your comfort zone. Because in life, if our reason isn’t big enough to do something, our fear will be. Simply creating a big enough reason(s) why you want to step out of your comfort zone can help you have some breakthroughs. Just do a stream of consciousness to where you write out all the benefits. Then when you are having trouble finding other benefits, keep going. This is where you will find the deeper reasons that are more emotionally driven and less superficial. The ones that will resonate with you and keep you on the path of your goal of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Do Things That Scare You!

This may be the obvious one, but it works. Doing things that scares us will automatically allow us to step out of our comfort zone. Often just confronting WHAT scares us can be a big step out of our comfort zones for most of us. WikiHow talks about how you can do something everyday that scares you , as a reminder of how we can keep ourselves on our toes. Some of the tips are:

Create a list of your fears. Our fears are pretty good at staying submerged under the dark waters of our subconscious. We can bring them to the surface by writing them out. Take some time for this exercise. Often times if you give yourself enough time, you will find fears in you that you never new existed. Create a diary just for this and keep it with you so that you can write down fears, worries and anxieties as they come up.

Do your best not to avoid fears as they are coming up. Don’t judge yourself. Everyone has fears. Ours may seem bigger than other peoples fears. Or we may be ashamed because we have them. But everyone’s life is different. We are all coming from different vantage points. Don’t judge your fears. Just write them out. Suppressing them will only keep us in our comfort zone.

Take one fear at a time an slowly start to attack it. If it helps you, enlist a friend to help you through fears. For example if you are scared of heights, maybe have a friend climb up a latter with you and even one day go bungee jumping with you.

Also, we stay in our comfort zone a lot of times due to embarrassment That we will look foolish doing something. Throw this out the window. Instead, don’t care what people think. This is your time where you are going to grow from dong things you are scared of doing. Just know that you are growing and that peoples opinions don’t matter.

After you have tackled one fear and have mastered it as much as you want to, move onto the next! Take bite size pieces out of it or eat the whole thing! Whatever helps you get past those fears!

Make It One of Your Core Values

What we get in life as well as what actions we take in life are directly related to our core values. For example if health is one of the most important things to you, your body will most likely look great. Or at least you are taking the actions to get you there.

The same can be true with getting us out of your comfort zone. If it means a lot to you, then literally make it into one of your core values for your life. Make it an important part of your day. Schedule times of day where you look at your fears, take action on them as well as make a plan for conquering other things that keep you in your comfort zone. You can even make one of your core values to be “Live life with a growth mindset.”

Throw Away Your Story

We tell stories to ourselves and we believe them. This includes stories that are keeping us in our comfort zone. But as Tony Robbins says, we need to “Divorce our stories, and marry the truth.” When we do this, we see our limitations are simply self imposed and we can let go of them.

As Soon As You Are Comfortable, Act

At the end of the day, when we are feeling comfortable there is no growth. When we are going through our day to day lives, we find ourselves feeling comfortable when we know we should be acting.

We are sitting on the courage when we know we should be at the gym. We reach for that next drink when we know we should simply go home. We know we should take the dog for a walk but don’t want to.

When you catch yourself in these types of situations, act. Jump up and do the thing that you don’t want to do. You will literally run head on into your discomfort. Don’t tip toe around it. Just do it. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to not do the thing that you are dreading or know you should be doing.

Don’t Think of It Being Uncomfortable

When we think about our comfort zone, we get a warm fuzzy feeling. It provides safety from the unknown. But when we think of the other side of the fence, doing what is “uncomfortable, we freeze up.

Instead of using the word “uncomfortable” use other words that are less emotionally charged. I like to use the word “irritation”. It is less scary to use and makes me feeling like I am already bigger than my fear that I am trying to face.

Find your own word that works for you that you can replace “uncomfortable” with.

Challenge Your Status Quo

At the end of the day a comfort zone is simply a default mechanism that we reinforce in order to not feel out of control. We like it because it is the same, day in and day out. But in order to switch this up, we need to challenge our status quo. So look for things in life that you have been running on default on. Things like hating cops, becoming negative when you are around family, getting pissed when your team loses.

However you usually react, react exactly opposite. This will force you out of your comfort zone very quickly. And at the same time also give you the feeling that YOU choose your reaction. We think we ARE our reactions. We are simply reacting to a subconscious program.

So instead of hating cops, instead see them as underpaid people protecting us. And simply people just like us that are doing their job. And just like everyone else, want to make their money and go home.

Seeing things from an opposing perspective of how you always see things will get you out of your comfort zone. And get you off autopilot.

Stop Trying To Perfect

Most of us are trying to get through life with as little injuries as possible. Not making any waves, minding our business and not getting into any trouble. But what kind of life is this? In order to get out of our comfort zone, we need to break the training wheels off. Choose growth over safety.

So when you catch yourself wanting to play it safe, ACT. If there is an argument you are about to get into, get into it. If there is someone you want to go ask out, go and do it.

You can only fall as far as the ground. That is not that far. I mean at the end of the day the worst thing we can do is get laughed at or lose an argument.

But express yourself truly. Don’t suppress things. Live like children do. Blatantly stating how we feel and blatantly living like we want to.

This means escaping the labels people in our lives gave us. Letting go of the jobs, titles and personality traits that other bestowed on us.

This way you can truly operate from your true source. Even if it pisses people off. You will be OK with being unperfect.

And when you do this, it feels damn good. At first if will feel tough, weird and downright scary. But the more you do this, the better you feel. You are being HUMAN. You are being more of yourself. And that is when your comfort zone truly expands so that you can reach new levels of breakthroughs. And the expansion of your comfort zone just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Be Completely Real With Yourself About What You Want

There are so many goals and dreams that the world stows away. Out of fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of people not supporting them. Fear for people leaving them if they do succeed. So many fears hold us back from chasing after our dreams.

But in order for us to get out of our comfort zone, we have to dig out old dreams and dust them off.

I don’t care what the fears and limiting beliefs that are holding you back from them. Find those goals and take action on them TODAY.

Otherwise one day they will become regrets and create resentment.

Even if it is doing something small towards your goal daily. Just make some steps forward toward something you buried. You will blow through your comfort zone by doing this.

Actions You Can Do Do Step Out of Your Comfort Zone (Uncomfortable Things)

Below are a few different actions you can do in your daily life to take you out of your comfort zone. Now many of these may seem trivial or simply not that “intense”. But getting out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to be done in some sort of catastrophic fashion. It can of course be done in a catastrophic way.

But most of us just aren’t built that way. But by doing small things each day that force us out of our comfort zones, we will build momentum and the mental strength to stand up to our bigger giants.

135 Ways To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Go A Day Without Coffee

Call, write or text and enemy and forgive them. Hell even do so one social media.

Ask that certain person out.

When ordering dinner at a restaurant, tell the waiter to surprise you with their favorite entree.

Strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.

Track where you are spending your money.

Stop being a perfectionist. Or START.

Post something controversial on social media, or bring up some controversial subject during a chat with friends or family.

Say NO to people.

Take responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life.

Set standards for your life that other people abide by.

Stop gossiping when people are doing so around you. Tell them to STOP.

Watch a movie in a foreign language so you have to follow along with subtitles.

Listen to a genre you have never gotten into.

Learn a new skill.

Admit a fault to yourself or someone else.

Parking in a different spot in the parking lot than you usually do. Like at the gym and work.

Being more assertive at work and in relationships.

Doing something creative instead of watching Netflix or TV.

Doing a one day fast.

Eliminating a certain food from your diet.

Going a day without social media.

Canceling your TV subscription.

Quitting a bad habit.

Learning a new language.

Seeing things from someone else’s perspective.

Disagree more with people.

Go hitchhiking.

Join Toastmasters.

Try online dating.

Make honesty the only policy.

Try out a new food wherever you go. Both while dining and when you are shopping.

Smile at people as you pass them on the street.

Learn how to play an instrument.

Letting go of the past .

Hold a tarantula.

Swim with sharks.

Talk to someone in an elevator.

Put your goals on social media for all your friends to see.

Have someone keep you accountable for your goals and have consequences if you don’t hit them.

Go to a different church or a church that practices a different religion.

Stay silent for a whole day.

Question your own beliefs.

Don’t drink or smoke when you want to.

Cook a food at home that you would usually pay for at a restaurant. Look for the recipe online and then try to make it taste the same!

Tip extra to your next waiter.

Order something you normally wouldn’t at the restaurants you frequently go to.

Start a business.

Start a non-profit.

Eat somewhere fancy, somewhere you would never go. Dress down for the occasion. Making it more uncomfortable.

Leave the TV off for an entire week.

Go on a spontaneous day trip.

Ask someone in your life for constructive criticism.

Practice self reflection.

Dress up and go somewhere where people are not dressed up. Like a coffee shop.

Share your pain, either past or present, with someone close to you.

Move to a different city.

Do 100 push ups and 100 sit ups right when you wake up.

Go streaking LOL.

Ask for a discount on the thing you buy next. From coffee, clothes, food and everything in between.

Ask your boss for a raise. If he/she says no then ask what you can do to deserve a raise.

Travel alone somewhere.

Eat desert first then an appetizer and then your main entree!

Walk somewhere you would normally drive to.

Wash your car instead of having it washed.

Give a stranger a hug.

Stay up the entire night.

Go zip-lining.

Listen to a new song ever single day.

Sing karaoke and sing a song you don’t know!

Buy a new color you never wear and wear it often for a week.

Research things before you make a black and white stand about it.

Volunteer your time. Or even raise money or start a charity.

Workout more often. And switch your workout routines up more often.

Eat dinner outside instead of inside.

Join a sports league in your area.

Go a day without meat (Or a meal with meat if you are a vegan)

Be willing to we wrong and admit when you are

Stop looking back to the past. When you do, think of something you are looking FORWARD to.

Don’t put on makeup, put in gel, or even shower for a day! No cosmetics for one day.

Go to a movie or to dinner by yourself.

Take up improv lessons.

Go thrift store shopping.

Tell people your from a place you aren’t from when they ask. Make up a story and elaborate. Keep doing so until you have created a total alter ego!

Crash a wedding.

Participate in a flash mob!

Tithe or donate more than you usually would. Or tithe to a cause outside your church. Or somewhere else other than where you can USED TO donating to.

Be completely honest with someone. Instead of being cliche.

Have sex in somewhere public.

Pursue a job that intimidates you.

Throw a big costume party.

Stop conforming to how just ONE person wants you to be. Usually people in churches or immediate friends. Be completely candid and yourself around these people.

Dive into a pool with all of your clothes still on. (Take the iphone out though before hand!)

Pay someones dinner tab when you are out.

Practice more self love .

Watch a documentary when you want to watch a movie.

Read the newspaper when you can easily go online.

Create a new good habit and stick to them for 30 days.

Create a mission statement for your life.

Create a core values list .

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Don’t drink liquor for a month.

Journal every day more a month if you don’t already.

Refrain from complaining for a day or even a week!

Tell the waiter it is your birthday when it isn’t.

Prank one of your buddies

Use an accent next time you go to the coffee shop and order or when talking to a stranger.

Learn 100 new words this month and use them whenever you can.

Make lunch for someone and bring it to them for no reason.

Take a shot without a chaser.

Research the worlds of a song you have been mumbling to see what the real words are.

Do a heel click in the middle of a crowded space.

Sing loud in the middle of a crowded space.

Laugh at yourself more often.

Doodle or draw something for a month. Create a masterpiece!

Spend a couple of minutes per day simply laughing. It is healing!

Learn a magic trick.

Learn how to make a a couple difficult alcoholic drinks.

Mail a random person a dozen roses.

Read autobiographies of great people instead of mindless reading.

Brush your teeth longer than normal.

Drive with your other hand as the main hand or even on drive with both hands on the wheel, 10 and 2!

Take a super fast shower.

Give someone the last slice or last piece when you want it so bad!

Let someone go in front of you when waiting for a table.

Learn how to do a back flip on a trampoline and then from the ground!

Wear some gotty jewelry! Either fake or real if your ballin!

Prank call someone!

Sleep in a position that you normally don’t sleep in.

If your a man wear a beard style you never wear or shave it if you haven’t done so in a long time.

Get a new haircut you aren’t used to.

Eat clean for a month straight, no fast food at all whatsoever.

Shop somewhere you normally don’t shop.

Quote an epic movie line aloud in a crowd or do an impersonation on the street corner and put a tip jar out!

Ask your wife or husband to remarry you!

Read a post on a different blog everyday and comment on it!

Write a poem.

55 Comfort Zone Quotes

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neal Donald Walsch

“Do not allow your comfort zone to prevent you from adapting to change or from trying new ventures.” – Bryon Pulsifer

“A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it’s built for.” – Albert Einstein

“A good portion of the things you want in life is outside your comfort one.” – Idowu Koyenikan

“Constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and face your fears.” – Nathan Ergang

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.”

“When you step out of your comfort zone, you are stepping into your greatness.”

“Sometimes, taking a step outside of your comfort zone can be scary. But with a little bit of confidence and a couple steps at a time, some pretty amazing things can happen. So go ahead and take that first step, yes, you can do it. Your goals are waiting for you.” – Heather Stillufsen

“Be willing to get out of your comfort zone, if you want to grow.” – Chelsea Vincent

“In any given moment, we have two options. Step forward into growth, or step back into safety.” – Abraham Maslow

“Life will only change when you become more committed to you dreams than you are to your comfort zone.” – Billy Cox

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

“You are only confined by the walls you build yourself.”

“Step so far outside your comfort zone that you forget how to get back.”

“Get out of your comfort zone and take a step of faith. You can’t play it safe and expect to reach your highest potential.” – Joel Osteen

“A comfort zone is nothing but a belief, a mere reflection of your thoughts. You desire something better yet you fear change. Self-doubt will bind you there, belief is all you need.”

“To move to a new level in your life, you must break through your comfort zone and do things that are not comfortable.” – T. Harv Veker

“It’s OK to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.”

“If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.”

“God has given you the power and desire to change but you still need to be willing to do the work. Doing the work means facing your fears and getting out of your comfort zone.” – Michael Barbarulo

“The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity, moving beyond it’s necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.” – Dan Stevens

“It’s really hard to get comfortable being uncomfortable all the time. But when you do, amazing things happen.”

“I constantly get out of my comfort zone. Looking cool is the easiest way to mediocrity. The coolest guy in my high school ended up working at a car wash. Once you push yourself into something new, a whole new world of opportunities opens up. But you might get hurt, in fact you will get hurt, but amazingly when you heal, you are somewhere you have never been.” – Terry Crews

“Find your uncomfortzone.”

“Comfort zone: A beautiful place where nothing gets done.”

“Outside of the comfort zone is where the magic happens.”

“All the concepts about stepping out of your comfort zone mean nothing until you decide that your essential purpose, vision and goals are more important that the self-imposed limitation.” – Robert White

“Don’t be afraid to take an unfamiliar path. Sometimes they are the ones that take you to the best places.”

“Find your comfort zone, then leave it.”

“Comfort zones. Where your unrealized dreams are buried. Are the enemies of achievement.” – Roy T. Bennett

“It wouldn’t kill you to get out of your comfort zone a little bit.” – Jenny Han

“It;s you VS your comfort zone.”

“Are you really happy? Or just comfortable?”

“Our comfort zones can be our greatest enemy to our potential.”

“If your circle doesn’t challenge you to grow beyond your comfort zone, then you are definitely in the wrong circle.” – Edmond Mbiaka

“My experience is that you cannot have everything you want but you can anything you really want. You just need to decide what it is and then plan your exit from the comfort zone.” – Jonathan Farrington

“There are wonders to see, to feel, to enjoy once you get out of your comfort zone.”

“If we are growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

The new year means nothing is you’re still in love with your comfort zone.”

“There are wonders to see, to feel, to enjoy one you get out of your comfort zone.”

“The best piece of advice someone has ever given me was ‘do it scared’. And no matter if you’re scared, just go ahead and do it anyways because you might as well do it scared, so it will get done and you will feel so much better if you step out of your comfort zone.” – Sherri Shepherd

“Our culture has a tendency to pigeonhole people and to try to tearn down anyboy who’s breaking out of your comfort zone. That’s why we get into these cultural ruts that end up being destructive prejudices. But breaking out of the comfort zone is the most rewarding thing you can do in your life. It do my best to push myself, when I can.” – Joseph Gordon-Levitt

“Comfort is your biggest trap and coming out of comfort zone is your biggest challenge.”

“When you go out of your comfort zone and it works, there’s nothing more satisfying.” – Kristen Wiig

“Whenever you feel uncomfortable, instead of retreating back into your old comfort zone, pat yourself on the back and say, “I must be growing” and continue moving forward.” – T. Harv Eker

“Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.” – Rapunzel

“When was the last time you did something for the first time.”

“Who you’ll be next year, that’s unknown. Shock yourself out of your comfort zone, because that’s going to lead you to the next version of yourself.” – Jad Abumrad

“Be fearless. Have the courage to take risks. Go where there are no guarantees. Get out of your comfort zone even if it means being uncomfortable. The road less traveled is sometimes fraught with barricades, bumps and uncharted terrain. But it is on that road where your character is truly tested. And have the courage to accept that you’re not perfect, nothing is and no one is and that is OK.” – Katie Couic

“Make life about more than just you. Take the world around transform it for the sake of others. Do a good deed for your neighbors. Smile at strangers. Volunteer for a bigger purpose and don’t expect anything in return. The first step to redemption is digging yourself out of the hole you dug around yourself and dedicating your time to others. When the world stops revolving around your comfort zone and draws in the needs of others, you may quickly break the chains that hold you back from reaching your ultimate goal.” – Leigh Hershkovich

“If you want to fly, you need to grow up. To grow up, you need to be a kid again. To be a kid again, you just have to be yourself. So come out of your cozy comfort zone. Yell out and break the boundaries you are stuck in. Then only you can fly.” – Vikrmn

“You need to get outside of your comfort zone to write songs that are interesting, songs that are compelling, songs that are different from what other people are writing.” – Macklemore

“Here’s an equation I want you to remember for the rest of your life. CZ = WZ. It means your comfort zone equals your wealth zone. By expanding your comfort zone, you will expand the size of your income and wealth zone.” – T. Harv Veker

“Your comfort zone is your enemy.”

“Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle and awesome in the end, because in the end, it shows you a whole new world. Make an attempt.”

Conclusion To Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

At the end of the day, as we face more and more of our fears and discomforts, the more and more we tap into our potential. It feels good and we feel good about ourselves.

But most people won’t do this. That is whey we have people that die with so many regrets. But you are not going to be one of these people.

Starting today, you will do what is tough. You will step into the unknown. And come out a stronger you.

I hope this article helped you and inspired you to get jump of your comfort zone.

I would love to hear what you thought about it in the comment section below!

Peace my good friends.

Reader Interactions

September 23, 2019 at 12:26 am

thanks for the information

February 12, 2020 at 5:46 pm

Love this!!! Thank you for writing it!

June 10, 2020 at 4:12 pm

My pleasure Jessica! What is your favorite tip for getting out of your comfort zone my friend?

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Senior Speech: Go Out of Your Comfort Zone

By Rigel Broeren '21

My Mom always tells me that I never try new things, or that I stay in my bubble, and that I reject most of the opportunities that she suggests. That’s pretty ironic considering I’m about to give a speech about taking risks and undergoing new experiences. And although I admit that some of that statement is true, not all of it is. I’m sure you’ve all heard your parents or someone tell you that you need to try new things whether it be a summer camp, class in school, or new sport. If you’re anything like me, your answer to most of their proposals is going to be no. Although most of us as high schoolers are ever changing, we all have our own identities, and if you have no interest in something that’s probably not going to change because a parent says that you should try it. I’ve personally gone through this when it comes to art. Despite our talented fine arts faculty here at Randolph, I’ve never been particularly driven when it comes to art. When one of my parents suggested that I take an art class my senior year, I gave them a sideways look to say, "You know that’s not who I am.” Low and behold, I'm not taking art this year. It's a decision I’m happy with even though I didn’t try something new or go out of my comfort zone. So, how can I be telling you to try something new and go out of your comfort zone.

The key to trying something new is to do something you know you aren’t going to hate right away. That may not sound like a particularly good criteria to make a decision and most of the time it isn’t. In fact, most of the time, you should do something you want to do. But taking a calculated risk every now and then can pay off. If it doesn’t, then you know that you never need to have that experience again. I’ll give you an example in my own life. In 7th grade, I started running cross country for one reason - to improve my conditioning for soccer.

"I urge you to take a calculated risk. It can even be related to something you’re already passionate about."

I have to be honest with you. I haven’t done much in my life that I’ve disliked more than running long distances five days a week. I ran for two seasons in middle school and then stopped once I was in high school because I knew it just wasn’t for me. Fast forward to junior year of high school and I wanted a spring sport. I decided that I didn’t want to play soccer anymore but, I still wanted to be active and participate in athletics. A lot of my friends run track and suggested that I join. Immediately, I remembered my cross country days and the flashbacks of running up a sand hill in 95 degree weather at Run in the Sun camp or doing a tempo run around a field trying to avoid insects flying at me, also in the 95 degree heat. I voiced my concerns to my friends, who are all sprinters, as I now am. I came to the conclusion that even if I still disliked running just as much as I did in cross country, I would be with my friends and I would be running shorter distances so I could at least segment the misery into workable chunks. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually enjoyed a good portion of the running in track, and overall I had a great time prior to the season getting cut short. I formed bonds with new people and I got to participate in a sport that was fun and fulfilling.

Running track last year was a risk that I took and that paid off. I think the key to that experience is that I didn’t go into the situation blindly. Taking risks and taking calculated risks are two very different things. I educated myself about track, and decided it seemed like a good risk to take. I urge you to take a calculated risk, and it can even be related to something you’re already passionate about. Personally, I did this the summer before junior year when I created my own business. I had already been interested in business and entrepreneurship for some time. I took a macroeconomics course outside of Randolph, did a job shadow at an investment firm, and attended an entrepreneurship camp. Yet, I still pushed myself further down that path and I tried something familiar to me, yet completely new at the same time. I started a landscaping business, and for all that I researched or was interested in entrepreneurship, nothing came close to the real thing. Nothing came close to the everyday victories and losses that come with running a business. It felt like trying something new and getting out of my comfort zone every single day. I essentially had complete autonomy, and with that freedom came responsibility. I had to “show up to work” on time, act professionally, maintain a fairly rigid timetable, pay employees on time, and keep my cool in difficult situations.

"During my time at Randolph, I’ve become more comfortable with stepping out of my comfort zone and having new experiences in my life."

Mainly, I remember when I almost lost three hundred dollars. Not only did I make it back, but I made more than I thought I would before the problem arose. I was halfway through my biggest job and the customer wanted edging around their flowerbeds. I looked up the price of the edging that they wanted and found that it would be around $100 for all of it. However, when I went to Home Depot, I discovered it would actually be about $400. It seemed that there was no way out. I had to buy and install the edging like I had promised. I bought the edging, installed it, but there was still a very large problem. I was going to lose about $300 due to this mistake. I was already running behind schedule, meaning this job was quickly turning from somewhat profitable to a big loss. My stress was rising due to the seemingly inevitable fact I would lose money and then have to take money out of my own pocket to pay my employees. Yet, I didn’t give in to that and I decided that I could find a way to salvage the job. I talked to the customer about some changes, such as extra flowers or a higher quality mulch, that I thought they might like to add to the project. They liked the changes and agreed to the extra $200 charge. That, plus working extremely hard and taking less breaks than normal, meant that by the time we had finished the job, we were within 5% of our expected profit margin. This specific situation is not only a memory that stands out from my time running the business, but also one of the most important leadership experiences of my life, and one that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t put myself out there and taken a risk. I like to think of my time running the business as me learning how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It was a process. I didn’t jump in head first to something that I had no interest in. Instead, I took something that I had a passion for and modified it more and more, until I was in a completely different environment.

During my time at Randolph, I’ve become more comfortable with stepping out of my comfort zone and having new experiences in my life, whether it be academic, athletic, or completely unrelated. It has become easier and easier for me, and I’ve done it more and more as time has gone on. I’ve continually had enriching experiences, learned about myself, and formed bonds with new people that I wouldn’t have ordinarily. I’d like to challenge you to never stop broadening your horizons as long as you have a compass to navigate with. As Lauren Bacall said, "Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world. Imagination is the highest kite one can fly."

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