Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy comfort. I like to feel safe and warm and to know what is coming.

And I am not there right now.

At the moment, I am living in a state of limbo, straddling the chasm between my comfort zone and complete unknown. And that is okay.

I have learned that growth happens when we step out of our comfort zone. This zone of optimal growth happens just outside our comfort zone. When we push ourselves to do something we haven’t done before or when we are forced to live in a way we never have, we grow. We learn. We develop new skills and new ways of coping.

There are some who say we should do something that scares us every day. I understand the sentiment behind it, but I am also a little wary. We should have a healthy amount of fear. It keeps us safe. It keeps us from doing things that are dangerous. It keeps us from crossing lines we aren’t ready to cross.

Instead, I would suggest that we should do something that makes us uncomfortable every day. Doing something uncomfortable builds our tolerance for discomfort. Doing something uncomfortable shows us we can take healthy risks. Success is always found just outside our comfort zone.

What makes you uncomfortable? For me, it is doing things I am not good at in front of other people. For me, it is living without the safety of knowing I can take care of my family, my bills, and have a little saved. For me, it is initiating social situations where I don’t know people.

I am building a new life for myself. Part of building that life will be navigating uncomfortable situations. I know it will be good for me to do one thing every day that makes me uncomfortable. It’s a good time to find some courage and step out of my comfort zone.

How can you step out of your comfort zone today?