Why You Need To Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

All personal growth begins with a challenge

There’s an old adage that says life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. Throughout my adult life, which started far too young and in the most unexpected way, that has certainly been true for me. I spent years crawling toward some kind of ‘normal’, and any kind ‘comfort,’ starting with the basics — the very basics — like food and shelter. In times like that, you aren’t at the edge of your comfort zone but entirely outside of it, and you live in a constant state of discomfort. There’s nowhere to go but up, and while there may be fear, you have no choice but to take action, try, fail, and try again. It’s a way of life but eventually, little by little, perseverance and hard work does pay off.

These days I’m far too comfortable. Life is good. Very good. And believe it or not — that’s a problem for me! Because if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that staying too long in your comfort zone is dull — and it makes you lazy. If you stay in your comfort zone too long, it will stifle your personal growth and keep you from reaching your full potential. You will not be sufficiently stimulated, and ultimately you will feel bored, restless, and even empty inside. It’s stepping OUT of your comfort zone and into new challenges and experiences that keeps you from feeling stuck in life. Unfortunately, the longer you procrastinate on doing something that challenges your norm or makes you feel discomfort or uncertainty, the more reluctant you are to step outside your bubble. Fear, self-doubt, and anxiety set in, and before you know it, decades have sped by and they find yourself wondering what could have been. You ask yourself what you should have tried, what you could have experienced, and what more might have been achieved if you’d only stepped outside their comfort zone more often and pursued those things that you wanted but seemed too scary or hard. Of course, insecurity and fear are entirely normal in the face of uncertainty. That’s your brain’s way of warning you that something won’t be easy. But you can’t let fear paralyze you from moving forward. Sure, there will be times you try something and fail, but you will grow from the experience and become stronger. And, you’ll never really know what you can accomplish until you challenge yourself. When you step outside your comfort zone and step into new challenges, you will gain self-confidence. You will be motivated to take what you’ve learned from the experience, make adjustments, and try again. You’ll be proud of yourself for having had the courage to try, and in turn, that will inspire you and continue to motivate you toward achieving even more. And the best benefit of all? Once you know you can be at ease outside the confines of what is most familiar, you will become more confident in your ability to handle whatever life throws at you. Remember that just because something is uncomfortable doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad; it just means it’s something you haven’t done before. Getting comfortable with discomfort requires practice, and the more you practice doing things outside of your comfort zone, the better you will get at embracing discomfort. It’s okay to start small. The key is to start — just do it! Ultimately, learning to get comfortable with discomfort will lead you to new people, places, experiences, activities, and achievements. You’ll find yourself expanding your horizons, thinking more creatively, and opening doors to all sorts of possibilities and paths you may have never imagined. Lean in and embrace discomfort today so that you can enjoy the life you want. The good news is it’s never too late!