“Swimming the deep isn’t mastered by standing in the shallows” ~unknown
I saw this quote the other day and I thought it was both simple and effective. It was one of those quotes that just grabs you and pulls you down. I say that in a sense of self-reflection of my own habits.
Human beings are creatures of habits. We find what makes our time or life convenient and easy and that is the habit that is created. A habit forms due to the outcome of the action. Meaning, if the outcome is thought of as self-gratifying then we stick with it. At the same time, we can easily get into a habit and come to the conclusion that this is convenient for our lives and then stick with this pattern.
This will often lead to the hard discussion of change. That little six letter word that can cause people to quiver in their seat and start to get literally angry at the thought. Why is that? This is because change will put people off their patterns of what they thought was easy and convenient for their life/situation.
However, where does progress occur? No matter the topic, life, love, weight loss, fitness, strength, endurance, relationships, etc. Forward development, and growth allows this to happen when you get out of your comfort zone. If you are in a relationship, you know that communication is key, and this communication is not always easy, but it is necessary if you want to grow together. If you are trying to eat healthier, you need to get out of your routine of snacks, or poor eating habits. If you want to improve your conditioning, you have to be exposed to discomfort. If you want to be a better competitor, you have to learn how to loose. If you want to grow as a business owner, you need to try new things, learn, fail, adapt and continually evolve. The list can go on and on, but the key to it all is being willing to leave your comfort zone.
I look at this as I would anything else we do, small steps. Leaving your comfort zone can be completely intimidating for people. So, like any other change you are trying to make, don’t go all in from the beginning as this might have a push back (internal). Rather, take a small step. This can be saying hi to strangers, adding a few extra pounds to the barbell, or trying for a second faster for pacing. Whatever it is, work on small steps that will get you out of your comfort zone. If you work on small steps each day then the compounding effect of that over the span of a month, quarter, or even a year will be AMAZING!
So remember, energy is everything! Your thoughts begin it, your emotions amply it and your actions increase its momentum! Start small each day to get out of your comfort zone in all areas of your life, because…
“Your largest fear carries your greatest growth” ~unknown