Are You Trapped in Your Comfort Zone?

“Nothing grows in the comfort zone”

Some quotes are inspirational and uplifting, others are cheesy and annoying.?We would all split these into different camps, but for me this one goes on the annoying list.?It might be because I’ve heard it so often, it might be because I’ve used it (and still do) and it makes me cringe, or it might be because it’s true.?I think the main reason why it annoys me is because it’s oversimplistic.?So, lets dig into this a bit more.

And let’s start with what we mean by the comfort zone.?This is where we find things easy and unchallenging.?It might be the piece of work we find instinctive and straightforward, or it could be the easy routine at the gym.?It’s the thing we can do with ease but it doesn’t help us to grow.?Often it’s the things we can do on autopilot.

Now, there are times when we need to be in our comfort zone.?Maybe we’ve been working on something really challenging and we need a break.?Maybe we did a tough workout a couple of days ago and we need something easy to keep us mobile.?There are times when we need to take it easy and recharge.?Also, we have usually earned our comfort zone.?Often things are easy here that were once hard, but we punched through and developed the skills we needed.

HOWEVER, what happens if we spend all our time in this comfort zone??Does this give us an easy life that’s free from stress??Well…no.?This leads to boredom, frustration and dissatisfaction.?We need challenge to achieve satisfaction.?Think back to the last time you were working on something that was tough and difficult.?Think about how you felt when you completed that task or piece of work.??

The other thing that happens when we spend all our time in this zone is that it actually gets smaller

So, we need to stretch ourselves.?Now some of us like a challenge and like to take on the seemingly impossible.?Others will prefer a mild stretch and build up their skills and capacity incrementally.?It doesn’t matter which approach you take; the important point is that you stretch yourself.

You are here to fail!

And where better to stretch yourself that at University??By definition you are there because there are things you don’t know.?If you knew everything about your subject you could just book in and take the exams.?Why waste time with learning if you already know it?

But your time at university is not just about academic learning, it’s about developing skills and testing yourself.?Who cares if you make mistakes here??Who cares if you make a bad presentation??This is where you come to get things wrong and learn from your mistakes.?So make the most of this opportunity.?Seize every chance to try something new.?Push (or stretch) yourself.?Step outside of that comfort zone and work to make it bigger.