Stepping outside of my comfort zone is something that I’ve always been hesitant about. I am a lot of things, but brave hasn’t always been a quality that I’ve possesed. In fact, starting this very blog was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I’ve had two blogs before mostlymorgan, blogspot ones that I told nobody about. The first one was a failed venture when I was fourteen, but the second I took more seriously. I wrote posts that I was proud of and that I thought other people would really like – and I was right. One post took off on pinterest and I panicked. I mean what if people I knew saw it. However illogical it was I was absolutely terrified of people finding out that I was doing something even somewhat out of the ordinary. So I deleted my blog and pretended it had never happened. About 8 months later I decided I wanted to create another blog and this time I took it seriously – I bought a domain name and used wordpress to mold mostlymorgan into what it is now, my own little corner of the internet that I am incredibly proud of. Not only is it amazing that people actually want to read what I have to say, but as of very recently I have begun making money through blogging. One little step outside of my comfort zone and I have gained a new pride and joy, a resumé padder, a hobby, and the beginnings of what could turn into a business should I continue in the direction I am going.
The experiences that I have had from blogging lead me to wonder on what I’ve missed out on in the past from simply being too scared to go out on a limb. Those musings resulted in me making a promise with myself to become a little more daring. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still the same old Morgan, just a little less hesitant. I am no longer as fearful of making a fool of myself because the moments I feel embarrassed often make for the best memories. Acting like a complete idiot has usually worked in my favor, in fact – it recently got me this picture and a great memory with my lovely roommate!
“Step outside of your comfort zone often enough – and eventually that will become your new comfort zone.” -Unknown
So how can you step outside of your comfort zone? Honestly the answer to that is completely dependant on who you are as a person.Something I would be insanely uncomfortable with could easily be no problem for you. The way I see it, your comfort zone is the range of activities that you have done before and would have no problem doing again. Doing something new or something that made you feel anxious or embarrassed the first time are great ways to step out of your comfort zone. I made a small list of ways that anyone can step out of their comfort zone, but mind you that there may be some things on the list that simply do not work for you, and that’s OK! Move on to the next item and be brave!
1.) Experience new cultures – this can mean embracing a new style of food if your diet consists mainly of pizza and hamburgers, or perhaps going to an event such as a Japanese Tea Ceremony (I highly recommend that, if you haven’t!).
2.) Break out of your habits. This one might make you roll your eyes because it is so simple, but habits = monotony and monotony = contentment. If you go through the same routine every single day, you are missing out! Do little things differently to spice your life up. These little changes can snowball into something you’d never imagined. A simple decision to start walking in the mornings before work can lead to the decision to run in the mornings before work, and as a result a year from now you may be training for a marathon. Small deviations from the usual can make all of the difference.
3.) Pursue something you’ve dreamed of doing. I imagine all of us must have those thoughts in the back of our minds, “What if I…” but the thought disappears as quickly as it came. It’s the thoughts that keep coming back that you need to think about doing. Ask yourself what is holding you back and if it’s something like “I am worried about what others will think.” Then do it anyhow. Life is too short to worry about the judgement of others. And if you are like I was and the thought of creating a blog keeps popping into your head and you don’t know how to go about it, shoot me an email and I would be more than happy to walk you through the process!
4.) Start crossing things off of your bucket list! Is learn a new language on there? Check out Benny Lewis from Fluent in 3 Months. Want to lean how to build apps? Scoot on over to Codecademy and get learning! Want to travel the world? Create a realistic budget and start working hard so that you can see your goals happen. It is so easy to have big dreams, but doing something about those dreams is where a lot of people run into trouble. Step out of your comfort zone and make things happen!
5.) Talk to someone new. Every day. Don’t let the small talk die into silence when you’re checking out at the store, ask the cashier if he has any big plans for the weekend, when you run into a friend make sure you introduce yourself to the people they are with as well. Business minded people call this networking, me? I call it making friends. Not only will this practice make you more social but these new people that you meet can easily turn into some of your new closest friends. That’s all I’ve got for you today, folks! I’d love to hear about a time that you stepped out of your comfort zone! Comment below if you have a great story!
