Step outside your comfort zone – there’s a reason for this saying.

When you forgo the comfortable, or typical, for something different and even uncomfortable, this is where some of your best opportunities for development happen.

Emma Goldstraw from Total Health explains.

“The only time you are actually growing is when you are uncomfortable.” T.Harv Eker

Life is comfortable for most of us. We have temperature-controlled homes with everything we need, a car to get around, fast internet to work with, appliances to make our life easier, a plethora of food choices, nice offices to work from – it’s all sounding rather lovely.

We all work hard to make our lives easier, for our days to flow smoothly, for the same routine day after day.

Is this way of living benefiting us?

Humans are not designed to sit all day, have food delivered to them and have everything accessible to them through various apps. By being over comfortable, when adversity happens and life veers outside of ‘the lines’, we suddenly feel out of control.

As humans we naturally find the easiest way of doing something and stick with that approach. That’s normal, and can be a good thing, yet is this way optimising yourself and your opportunities?

Trying something for the first time or doing something hard may bring on those feelings of fear, anxiety and discomfort, which are a natural reaction for the majority. Ask yourself if you can harness these feelings, take a pause, breathe, and feel – instead of running away, embrace these feelings and take that step forward.

When was the last time you challenged yourself?

I jumped in the Blue Lake / Lake Tikitapu in Rotorua recently after a run. Yes, it was freezing, but I didn’t regret it – I felt alive and accomplished afterwards.

Forcing myself to jump in cold water made me more resilient and mentally stronger, and I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself. Even with this little act I get the rewards from embracing my discomfort. Discomfort is a positive source for growth, embrace yours.

Are you avoiding putting your hand up at work, prioritising your health, trying something new, having that difficult conversation or starting your side hustle?

Stop and ask yourself why…

Are you afraid of failing? Are you letting perfection become a barrier to starting?

Are you worried about other people’s reactions? Are you limiting yourself with the stories you tell yourself?

Change can be uncomfortable and stressful, yet change is inevitable, normal and necessary. Getting uncomfortable confronts you and challenges you to learn new parts of yourself, leading to a stronger, wiser you.

This week, month or even today make time to address those tasks that are making you uncomfortable, think about making changes that you are avoiding or start an activity you’ve been nervous of trying.

Take that step into the uncomfortable. Embrace it, own it and grow from it.

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