Humans are hard-wired to avoid discomfort: it’s why you would hesitate to take up a new assignment at work, avoid difficult conversations, or take on the easier tasks first.
But stop for a moment and think about your biggest achievements: those moments that you’d really come out on top and felt undeniable pride and joy as if you’ve conquered the world. Chances are every one of those instances involved discomfort and stress at disproportionate levels.
The correlation between discomfort and achievement is undeniable.
The truth is, each time you feel unease and stress, it’s a sign you’re treading unfamiliar territory, and that’s exactly what creates learning and growth. When you’re confined to your comfort zone, you have fewer opportunities to experiment, make mistakes, and fail. These are all critical experiences to build resilience and pursue your goals.
But fighting aversion towards discomfort and unease is an overwhelming hurdle for many people. If this is a challenge you’re trying to overcome, here are 5 simple steps to get you out of your comfort zone and accelerate personal growth.
1. Shift your focus.
When you’re focusing on elements you dislike, you could get consumed with dread and fear. But by shifting your attention to more positive areas, you can distract yourself from the negativity. For instance, try focusing on an element you might enjoy or divert your thoughts to the possible rewards.
2. Understand the root cause of discomfort.
There’s always a reason for aversion. By identifying the root cause, you could address it with a logical solution. For instance, is it because of a fear of failure? Or does it remind you of a past negative experience? Remember, discomfort is a perception. Once you understand the logical reasons behind it, its power to consume you will slowly disappear.
3. Start with small steps.
Any task is achievable with baby steps. Taking things slow and one step at a time could disintegrate a mammoth task into more manageable parts. And when you’re focused on a single small step, it will shrink your discomfort into smaller chunks that you could fight off more effectively.
4. Treat failure as a positive experience.
Fear of failure could have debilitating effects and may often prevent you from treading outside your comfort zone. Then again, failure is also a perception. The more gravity you assign to it, the greater power it could have on your emotions. But if you stop taking things too seriously and learn to shrug things off, what you initially feared could suddenly seem trivial.
5. Surround yourself with more risk-takers.
The company you keep could undeniably influence your thinking and perceptions. It’s why career coaches often advise that you surround yourself with successful people and positive thinkers. Similarly, having more risk-takers in your camp could be an excellent way to change your attitude towards change.
Ultimately, once you start stepping out of your comfort zone with slow and deliberate steps, the rewards will drive you to tread further away and explore your new surrounding. It could be an empowering and liberating experience that will shape your personal growth and future success.
