How do you know when you are out of your comfort zone?  How does it feel? And how do you know if it is in fact good for you?  Hmmmm...

I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like being out of my comfort zone.  I'm not interested in "facing my fears" by jumping out of a plane, am not a thrill seeker, not very adventurous, nor even that keen on travel (boy do I sound boring!).  Yet somehow I still manage to create and move into new unfamiliar territories on a regular basis.  So why?

The answer is - so I can grow and develop and ultimately, be a better me!  If I didn't give myself any room to move forward, upward and outward, I would stifle my growth and become stagnant.

In my years of learning I have discovered one thing I must always do, and that is to play by my own rules.  My growth needs to be on my own terms and to a level I am ‘comfortably uncomfortable' with, i.e. stepping out of my comfort zone at my own pace.  If I were to step out according to someone else's pace, I would become so overwhelmed and stressed, that I would need a good Kinesiology session to whack me back on track.  If though, I respect my needs, align with my personal goals, and am aware of my current limitations (physically, mentally and emotionally), I can move through the ‘uncomfortableness' much more quickly and more easily.

Moving out of your comfort zone does not necessarily mean climbing Mt Everest or completing a marathon, it just needs to be congruent with your needs and goals.  For me, one of my physical/fitness goals is to run 10km under 49min, and so I have joined a running group where I am truly forced out of my comfort zone.  I am ‘uncomfortably comfortable' with this because the coach is compatible with my needs.  I respond well to encouragement, support and a caring disposition.  If I had a coach who was a hard task master, yelling loudly to motivate and push me through pain barriers, I would never attend a training session again.    However, as my coach is all those things I respond well to, I can push myself that extra yard, knowing I am supported and am accepted for whatever I am able to do.  Whew!!  

We are all different and on our own journeys.  I want to make the most of mine by accomplishing, and experiencing as much as I can out of life.  Moving out of my comfort zone is exciting in a way as it leads me one step closer to my dreams and opens up more possibilities for the future.  So when are you going to start?