Once upon a time, mother eagle gave birth to her three eaglets. She provided all for them with the expectation that one day they will fly but they didn't. Then she noticed that the nest padded with fur, wool and feather made them quite comfortable. Then, she decided to build another nest with thorns, broken branches and sharp rocks then pad them with the wool, fur and feathers. When it was the expected time for her eaglets to fly, she tore the comfort away to expose the thorns to make them uncomfortable and desire to leave and fly.
It then became a practice for mother eagles.
It is easy to mistake these two phrases. “Get out of your comfort zone” and “Getting out of your comfort zone”.
Get out of your comfort zone: It sounds more like a command. It sounds more like a one-off instruction. It depicts a person telling you to do something and that's it. Whereas, Getting out of your comfort zone: It represents a continuous process. Something you have to keep doing. This is continuous because, your comfort zone is never the same. As long as you have life in you, your comfort zone will have variants and will require you get out.
Getting out of your comfort zone wouldn’t just happen, you need to be informed about a subject matter before knowing how to deal with it. Hence, we will talk about the types of comfort zones;
The Staying Zone
The people in this category are comfortable with not doing anything. Things are just fine or not necessarily fine but they are satisfied staying there and do not want more. They might be dissatisfied but they don't do anything about it. They have padded their nest with fur and wool.
The Birthing Zone
This category of people have birthed ideas and have started exploring their options. They keep learning, gathering resources but never launch out.
The Result Zone
People in this zone have acted on their ideas. They have launched out but were either successful or not. Either way it turned out, they have become comfortable with previous successes or failures and are not ready to get out and explore other ideas coming their way.
The truth is Growth will only happen outside your comfort zone. It is easy to do things that you are comfortable with and it is also the easiest way to remain stuck. What stages takes place between your comfort zone and your growth zone?
Irrespective of the comfort zone you find yourself, you pass through these stages to launch to your next. As the arrow depicts:
The Comfort Zone
You are safe and secure. You can control all that happens and be sure there won't be any surprise.
Then boom, there is a need to move and the fear zone is activated. This is fear zone saying "I am cool like that"😎
The Fear Zone
Most times, this is the threshold many of us don't cross. We find excuses not to DO, some might be valid and others invalid.
I love how this diagram accurately depict what goes on. For some, it is either of the three and for some it is all.
The problem about this zone is that, most of us let fear take over and when it does, we tend to go back to our comfort zone.
Learning Zone
In addition to acquiring new skills, dealing with challenges and extending your comfort zone.
I will like to add that on this stage, you have;
⦁ Improved habits
⦁ Build confidence
⦁ Utilize resources
⦁ Gain momentum
Growth Zone
Instead of finding purpose as depicted in the diagram, I will say you live purpose.
Why live purpose?
Living your purpose will prompt you to leave your comfort zone❗
Leaving your comfort zone is not rocket science but it isn’t easy either, there are some limitations to getting out of your comfort zone.
⦁ Fear
We are familiar with the meaning FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL
This is the reality of what fear is. Fear is a major tool that keep us from getting out of your comfort zone.
Commonly, we face the fear of the unknown and fear of inadequacy.
We have several 'what ifs' run through our mind.
“What if I try this and fail"
"What if I am laughed at".
Teal Swan writes, "We do not fear the unknown, we fear what we think about the unknown".
Note: The fear you don't deal with will cripple you and dim your vision
Have in mind that success is not a comfortable procedure neither is living a life of impact or significance.
⦁ Mindset
Your mind is your greatest weapon. You can either be liberated or remain in captivity with your mind.
Your thoughts and its pattern determines the height you reach and the paths you take.
The mind has a powerful way of attracting things that are in harmony with it, good and bad.
⦁ Environment/niche
Your niche either encourages or discourages you from getting out of your comfort zone. You might be in an environment that stifles your potential.
Imagine being in an environment where you are the only champion. You compare yourself with others and you seem to be the one always doing great. It is an environment that can become toxic to your growth.
This is because you don't see any reason to do better than you are doing. After all, you are doing the most in your niche.
⦁ Inflexibility
Your inability to be changed or adapted. To put it forward, your inability to be flexible.
Some of us are dancing on the table of the state of you can't tell me nothing (Intentional or unintentional). You feel you know a lot or you're knowledgeable and external ideas or knowledge is not entertained.
No one can correct you or change your opinion.
Resisting change is also part of being inflexible.
Thankfully, there is no problem that cannot be solved. Hence we will be looking at these solutions, both generic and specific. Below are some generic solutions.
⦁ Evaluation
Consistently do self-evaluation and seek evaluation from your close niche. This is because you might not realize that you are in your comfortable space.
The Eagle has to stir the nest of her eaglets to make them realize they need to fly. Sometimes you get to stir your nest and other times you need those eagles to stir your nest.
⦁ Desire and hunger for growth
What you don't desire, you don't chase. When was the last time you thought "There is more to me than this?"
⦁ Build up resilience
I will like to call it "Having a thick skin."
Many champions are made champions by their setbacks. None of them remained in their setbacks but forged ahead.
You will need to remain resilient in the face of difficulty, limitations, and several opinions to get out of your comfort zone.
Am I saying it is easy? No, it isn't. In fact, setbacks can be discouraging, however, going back to your comfort zone is not an option to be considered.
Some specific solutions are;
⦁ Understanding that it is okay to do it afraid
The fact that you aren't scared does not necessarily guarantee success. I want to emphasize on preparation. As long as you adequately prepare, fear is a mirage.
As a saying goes "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".
Moses was adequately prepared for his assignment for several years yet was afraid to launch.
It is okay to do it afraid. Stick to your preparation.
Preparation might not necessarily destroy fear but destroy the results of fear.
Also, don’t get lost in other people's preparation and start feeling inferior to them. Stay with and focus on your preparation.
Show up, embark on that project, take up that challenge, and embrace that change.
Make it resonate with your core values and purpose and watch how fear becomes stripped.
⦁ Change your Mindset
Mindset can be formed in several ways but I will limit it to two. What you listen to (people, voices)
David's brothers did not encourage him. In fact when he wanted to face Goliath, their voices sounded thus...
"What do you know?"
"You better stick to shepherding"
"You don't have what it takes"
Some voices take delight in showing your limitations. It is like a specialty for them. They never see your potential, you cannot do anything to them but do a favor to shut those voices up. Let them talk as much as they want but make sure you program yourself not to be affected by them.
Be surrounded with voices that activate your potential and not just show you your limitations.
⦁ Background
Your background can become a stronghold that holds you bound. You change your mind set by exchanging negative mindset for positive mindset by using positive affirmations.
Tell yourself "I am created to fix this problem", "I am a solution", "I give solution to generations", "Through me, nations are blessed", "I brim with innovation and ideas".
Always use positive affirmations.
Rather than draw a list of people that failed at what you plan to embark on, draw a list of people that succeeded at it.
Rather than think of how you will fail, think of succeeding and the impact.
⦁ Association
Always vet your association. Do they push you to do better or encourage you to remain complacent?
Take a look at Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
They sharpened each other, all of them were doing exploits in their own territory.
Can you be accountable to them?
Can they call you to order?
Can you speak the truth of who and where you are to each other without coating it with lies.
Does your company just hype your new dress, hair, and video and not get involved with you fulfilling purpose and destiny?
Look at the relationship between Esther and Mordecai.
When Esther came up with valid excuses as to why she couldn't go up to the King.
Mordecai had to remind Esther.
He said, "Girl, wake up!, don’t get comfortable. You are here for such a time as this."
It seemed like Esther had gotten comfortable and needed to get out because the deliverance of a race and nation was dependent on her.
Do you know that if you remain in that comfort zone, several lives or just a life might remain stagnant?
Flexibility to change
Accept the fact that you don't know it all. Accept that you are not knowledgeable enough and utilize the resources around you.
Your resources can be people (reach out to them), books (devour them and apply). Learn and apply.
Truthfully evaluate yourself and write out your comfort zone as it relates to you.
List your fears/anxiety and write out your mission or action.
You can be accountable to someone to enforce it.
To make getting out of your comfort zone faster, endeavor to ask yourself these questions
"Why do you wake up every day?"
Every time you stay where you are, ask this question:
“What didn't I do because I decided to stay in my comfort zone? If I had decided otherwise, what could I have achieved?
Post a Comment