Your Comfort Zone & The Limit of Personal Growth

I once thought I was good at adapting, and quite comfortable being out of my comfort zone. Now it's clear that I was wrong. I realize that I am just good at creating a comfort zone in a foreign place, whether it is beyond national borders or just county lines. Never will I claim that I just randomly had this realization. In fact, the Irish polyglot, Benny Lewis, showed me how wrong I was in this video:

Now I am seeking to break that habit. This is the greatest part about realizing that a routine or habit isn't what you thought it was, you find motivation to make a shift. Once you realize that what you were doing or thinking is not what you were convinced it was, you want to get back to that feeling that you had before you came to the realization. Academics call this creating consonance, but I like to call it resolving inner conflict.

Let's say we just started a new job, as most of us can relate to this. In the beginning it comes with a certain level of anxiety. The uncertainty of the unfamiliar produces anxiety that pushes us to try hard, be efficient, timely, and show that we belong. We are free from the norms and routines of the previous job, we experience new operations and processes, new people, and with any luck manage to gain a friend or two. We have expanded our comfort zone by confronting new situations like the hiring process and starting the new job. After a few months, though, that initial enthusiasm is waning and we start to see everything as dull, boring, routine, and possibly with some spite. We might get lazy with our work and less timely because we have accepted the notion that we belong rather than work to prove it. This is likely similar to the way we felt before we left our last job.

Whether that example is something you can relate to or not, you get the picture. You can apply that example to something more relevant to your life, and now your thinking I have a point. Great! You recognize that we are constantly in a cycle of adapting new and exciting things to be part of our norm. This is called hedonistic adaptation, and it's the process by which new and exciting things become normal and dull. You can find out more on the topic in the next article link you find.

Now, let's move on, because I'm not writing this to point out how humans desire to exist with minimal discomfort. More specifically, I'm hoping to grab your attention so that I can point out how beneficial it is to live with discomfort. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean a lot, I certainly don't mean an uncontrollable amount, and I absolutely don't mean negative discomfort. The right amount is truly a positive force, and without it you aren't going to try anything new, experience anything breathtaking, or push yourself to be a better you than the person just lulling about in the comfort zone. If you need a visual, just click here for a Google Images search of "comfort zone" and you'll quickly get the picture. Here's a sample of what to expect:

In this LifeHacker article, Alan Henry explains that a comfort zone is a "behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk." He cites some psychology research by Yerkes and Dodson, who found that "optimal anxiety" is good for us because it forces us to push beyond our comfort zones to maximize performance, creativity, innovation and more. If you have a lingering anxiety in your life and it isn't crushing your ability to thrive, it's probably helping, and that means you are right where you need to be. If you feel like you need a change or have an interest in making a shift, check out Henry's list of how to break out of your comfort zone in the linked article.

Think about it. When you decide to quit your job or work extra hours to pursue a dream, some anxiety is there. When you push your self to ask out the one you've had your eye on, anxious nervousness has you fidgeting. When you leave your home town or long time residence bound for a place where you know no one, you better believe that as excited as you are anxiety is still sitting shotgun.

If you want details about your comfort zone which are more segmented and specific to areas of your life, I recommend checking out this website to get a measure of your three comfort zones: professional, adrenaline and lifestyle. You might surprise yourself with the results. Then the site hooks you up with great info tailored to your results in each category. At least check it out and see your scores, no one if forcing you act on them or read the insight in the links.

My breakdown of comfort zones is two-fold. On one hand they are great because they provide minimal anxiety and stress with maximum happiness. Sounds great! However, that kind of requires you to rest on your laurels. So, on the second hand they prohibit us from trying new things, they tell us not to chase our dream girl, they prevent us from applying for that perfect job, and they stop us from making life changes like moving to a new place. Comfort zones aren't going to bring us new experience, and they are hardly going to enrich our lives. Unless, that is, none of that sounds like anything you want. If that's the case, just hang tight, things will stay the same. For those desiring enrichment, make a change in the areas of your life where you have the most comfort and take a step out of your comfort zone, a step closer to the magic of your passions.

Update: An earlier version of this article was titled, "Step Toward the Magic."