The Comfort Zone Is Not Your Enemy
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.
Well, not mine.
I’m at my absolute peak when I’m in my cushy comfort bubble:
- I write my most successful articles in pajamas.
- I produce my best software code after daily meditation.
- I feel invincible when I follow my boring workout routine.
Am I a freak?
Why Adventure Is Overrated
Warning, conspiracy theory: the comfort zone has been invented by productivity gurus to keep you unhappy and addicted to their products.
Think about it — as long as you keep pushing outside your comfort zone, you’re in a state of restlessness. You’ll be unhappy from the moment you wake to the moment you go to sleep. The perfect recipe for burnout.
To me, life outside my comfort zone often feels shallow. It’s a limited experience that lacks depth. Adventure wears me out.
Take traveling, for example. Visiting a new town is definitely fun for a few days, but eventually, you’ll miss your boring routine. After eating your sixth burger, you’ll miss your kitchen. At some point, you’ll want to feel like a productive human being again.
Here’s the truth most of us don’t want to accept:
Adventure may feel like progress, but oftentimes it’s only motion.
After all, escaping into an adventure is easier than fixing your daily life.
The Art of Having a Routine
Who says that having a routine is easy?
A challenging routine is 100 times more demanding than random adventures.
It’s incredibly hard to keep a committed relationship fresh. Sleeping around, however, is pretty easy (at least for some of us).
Comfort means you’re in control. And being in control will make you wealthy, sexy, and happy.
When your comfort zone is set up properly, it will take you to the highest heights — slowly but steadily. Your comfort zone will make you experience the fruits of compounding.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get cozy in your comfort bubble. It’s time to see the comfort zone as what it is — a highly optimized system designed for your personal success. Don’t squander that precious gift.
Feel the Fear And Chill
I may exaggerate, but I’m tired of self-abusive help advice. If there’s something that lies outside your comfort zone, there’s a good reason for that.
One decade ago, I read the marvelous book “Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers. It’s by the far the best book I’ve ever read on facing your fears (and trust me, I’ve read a lot of them).
Susan believes that fear itself is not the issue, but the way we handle it. In other words, fear is not the obstacle, but our fear of fear is the actual problem.
Most of us live in societies where failure is frowned upon. And that’s why our parents taught us the same thing. Fear is regarded as a negative character trait and therefore we have an obsession to “fix” it.
By inventing the comfort zone, we tell ourselves subconsciously that fear is not ok — that we are not ok. That’s why feel the constant urge to push beyond our comfort zones. The next level can’t wait.
But Susan’s approach is different: if you’re experiencing a little taste of anxiety, don’t back away. Don’t feel bad about yourself. Sit down with your fears instead. Make them your ally. Because remember, fear will sit next to you as long as you keep growing as a human being.
Your Hero Within
I have a superhero that lives inside of me. He’s charismatic, smart, and courageous. Ok, maybe he’s a little too arrogant, a lot like Ironman.
But when that superhero takes over, life feels incredibly easy. In that zone, I flow through life like Bruce Lee. To top it all, my inner superhero doesn‘t need motivation. He’s just having fun, and that’s why he doesn’t push himself into burnout.
I stopped trying to change myself. It creates tension inside my soul. It feels schizophrenic. From now on, I focus on creating an environment that merges with my inner superhero.
What a liberating feeling.
So which superhero lives inside of you? Batman? Wonder woman? Hulk maybe?
Bottom Line
Listen carefully to your fears and worries. They are your teacher, not your enemy. They tell you things about yourself that even your psychologist doesn’t know.
Don’t buy into the “push outside your comfort zone”-hype. The idea of a comfort zone suggests that you’re not enough. But trust me, you’re more than enough.
There are only 3 things you have to do:
- Create a challenging routine.
- Embrace, but never resist your fears.
- Unleash your inner superhero.
That’s how you grow inside of your comfort zone.
