Stepping outside your comfort zone

It's hard stepping out of your comfort zone. So hard in fact, I couldn't help but wonder why people ever do it. But this year, I think I may have just worked it out. It's not about scaring yourself into oblivion as I first suspected, but rather, it's about pushing yourself into a "not so scary" place where you can achieve your goals and take yourself further than you ever thought you possibly could.

My little bubble of clarity exploded this year on a couple of fronts.

Firstly, I started a new job. Exciting for some, shit scary for me. I'd been in the same job for 5 years and it's fair to say I felt pretty comfy there. Anywhere other than there was well and truly outside of my comfort zone! But, in a random moment of impulsiveness, I decided to apply for this other job that popped up. When I found out that I had it, well, shit scared again. But in another act of random positive thinking, I sucked the nerves up and gave them my start date. Before I knew it, that start date arrived and there I was, sitting rather uncomfortably in my new workplace. Days and weeks passed with only minor hiccups. I soon realised that everything I loved about the old job could be found here too, plus more. Pay increase anyone? Well worth the small step outside of my little comfort zone.

If that alone didn't totally convince me that stepping out of my comfort zone was a good thing, learning to open up and talk certainly did! I've been cursed with a mouth that can talk crap for hours on end, but I really struggle with talking about feelings and all those other emotional bits and pieces. In what is possibly one of my biggest achievements, I'm taking some pretty big steps out of that comfort zone trying to learn to open up and talk about stuff. With the help of a psychologist, I'm tackling that hurdle! This MASSIVE step of out my little comfort zone is already paying some big dividends. My relationships with other people are more meaningful, and I'm not trying to battle through my tough times alone. I'm learning the true meaning of friendships because I'm letting people inside. A massive step!

My comfort zone was certainly not everything I had convinced myself it was. Yes, it was safe and nothing was awful there, but nothing was ever truly exceptional either.

For more info on coping with a new job and moving outside your comfort zone, why not check out a few ReachOut.com fact sheets and stories...

• Applying for jobs and interview skills (Fact sheet)
• Meeting new people(Fact sheet)
• Sea Spray In A Dusty Place(Story)