We all have them. They burrow in at a subconscious level to varying degrees in different contexts of our lives. And to the extent that we're aware of them in ourselves and objectively take action to smash through them when necessary, we can experience steady progress toward making dreams into reality.
I'm referring to the ever-present and too-often-limiting 'comfort zone.' This is the parameter in which your subconscious 'regulator' will keep you performing in order that your thoughts, actions, and performance are consistent with your self-image. It is only when you consistently go outside those parameters (slowly but steadily) that you gain a new and more expanded self-image. Your resulting aggrandized self-image can then create a comfort zone where you'd once have felt "out of your element." This is how top performers become 'comfortable' with peak performance and high achievement.
Don't allow a 'comfort zone' to relegate you to watching the time slip by before you go after things you want in life - like your better body.
The best way to "get out of your comfort zone" consistently (and enjoy a richer life) is to gain the habit of being really uncomfortable with being in a comfort zone. Once it becomes painfully evident how much your comfort zones are holding you back from your potential, this new "discomfort trigger" can become your modus operandi in situations where you haven't yet achieved what you want.
When I joined Gold's Gym twenty years ago, I was out of my comfort zone. Joining the gym turned out to be an unexpected 'get out of your comfort zone' experience for me. I'd just left the Navy and possessed nothing more than a swimmers body that was starting to get fat. Many members of the gym looked muscular. They were strong. They seemed to know what they were doing. At that age and with my lack of experience, I felt self-conscious and a bit out of my element.
I vividly remember having a bunch of white pills in my front shirt pocket. They were a handful of some supplement that I'd bought and was supposed to take during my workout. I awkwardly reached down to pick a dumbbell up off the floor and my forgotten white pills fell out on the carpet. I scrambled to pick them up in embarrassment as veteran gym members looked on.
To get out of your comfort zone, sometimes you have to initially endure a little red-faced embarrassment. It's funny for me to think of that day in the gym many years ago. That's because, for many years now, I've felt so at home in gyms and other members often ask me for advice.
Does being uncomfortable in a gym (as I was 20 years ago) hold you back from gaining the body you want? How about being uncomfortable with muscle fatigue - or bodily fatigue? If so, then these are areas where you might need to 'get out of your comfort zone' within the context of fitness.
What about changing your preconceived notions regarding the "right way" to work out? If all you've heard is that you should work a muscle once every four days or no less than once a week, would you resist a suggestion that you rest each muscle for 8 to 10 days between workouts? This could constitute getting out of a comfort zone for some people. Many gym-goers keep doing the same thing over and over even though they're vaguely aware that their actions aren't getting them closer to their desires.
The reason? Thoughts and behaviors perpetuated by comfort zones often exist right below our full levels of awareness.
But, if you 'get out of your comfort zone' on a regular basis, you might reap the reward of getting uncomfortable with the idea of being in them. When that happens, living up to your potential will get a lot easier.
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