Step Out, Step Up: The Power of Leaving Your Comfort Zone for a Greater Life

We often cling to our comfort zones, surrounded by familiar people, places, and habits we've grown accustomed to over the years—even when they make us miserable and unhappy. Sometimes, we find a strange sense of comfort in the familiar pain, discomfort, or dissatisfaction we experience in a challenging relationship or a difficult work environment because we know it so well. As crazy as it might sound, this familiarity can be oddly comforting.

The thought of starting anew is always daunting: the unknown territory, new country, unfamiliar city, different people, new partner, different neighbours, new colleagues, or a new office—all these unknowns can be terrifying. So, we decide to stay where we are, even though our current situation hurts us every day.

What would it take for you to take a leap of faith and leave your partner, your town or city, your job, or those bad habits?

Let me tell you a story.

She fell in love with the idea of living within walking distance from the beach. She shared this dream with her partner, who looked back with a sceptical expression, silently saying it wasn’t going to happen. Still, she kept the dream alive, talking about it with excitement every time the topic came up. A couple of years later, they went on holiday and stayed at a cabin overlooking the beach. They fell in love with the location, the view, and the endless beach walks. They made an offer on a house during their holiday and moved from England to Scotland within three months. That was me and my partner.

We lived in one of the most desirable towns in the Midlands, in a beautiful flat within a characterful listed building that we had lovingly renovated. While we cherished many things about it, it wasn’t serving us well with its single-glazed windows and lack of efficiency, and we missed having a garden. Leaving that gorgeous town and the beautiful home we’d created meant stepping out of our comfort zone in many ways, including one of us leaving our job. We did it, and it’s been our best decision so far!

I encourage you to dream, and when you dream, DREAM BIG! Step out of your comfort zone. Don’t let your habits, your culture, or what others say dictate your life and future. Leave that toxic or unloving relationship full of disagreements and disappointments. Move out of that big city if you yearn for the peace and quiet of the countryside. Quit that job that no longer excites or appreciates you and stifles your creativity. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too old or too young, lack experience, don’t know anyone in the new location or office, or that you can’t give up a bad habit. Ignore them and make your own choices.

I’ve ticked one dream off my list and am already working on the next one! How about you?

Thanks for reading. Keep dreaming, but back it up with action. Be bold, trust your intuition, and go for it. Life is for living, and I wish you all the best with your next dream. Don’t forget to tell me about your next success—I’d love to celebrate it with you.