Stretching the Comfort Zone

Stretching the Comfort Zone to Move to Joy

“Get out of your comfort zone” is advice we often hear for growth.  And for those of us who are seeking joy, it is necessary.  As life changes around us, we often need to change and move out of our comfort zone in order to continue to maintain our joy.

Moving out of our comfort zone creates ways to feed our joy and generates new pathways to deep happiness.  Joy is created from a mindset - we build it one small choice at a time.  

You don’t need to leap out of your comfort zone - you can do it one small step at a time, just like you build your joy. Trying anything new will push our comfort zone. And you don’t have to stay there long to see the benefits. A key to getting the benefits is to stick to what you say you are going to do (This is also a key to many other things, but more on that in a later blog post).  Trying to meet new people?  When you go to that business mixer or new fitness class, set a small goal and commit to it.  For example: “I’ll say ‘hi’ to 3 new people and then I don’t have to talk anymore.” That is enough to stretch your comfort zone.

But to expand your comfort zone, you have to keep stretching it. But how you do that is up to you. Growth, like joy, is something you get to create for yourself. 

Future posts will explore more about comfort zones and keeping promises to ourselves to build joy, but for now, just stretch that zone of comfort just a tiny bit.  You may be surprised what joy comes to you in the space you create.

“Do something uncomfortable today. By stepping out of your box, you don’t have to settle for what you are – you get to create who you want to become.” — Howard Walstein