If you are among those who are both comfortable every day in all you do, and GROWing (Gaining Rewards, Opportunities, and Well-Being) every day, kudos! Everyone else, get out of your comfort zone if you want to grow!
Those who are fulfilled are likely already regularly doing that. They are learning new skills, meeting new people, trying new foods, visiting new places, doing things they don’t usually do, or doing things they do all the time – but doing them differently.
That’s because change happens, whether you want it to or not. You are better prepared for it in every way when you have more skills, know more people, have practiced adapting to new things, and are flexibly able to change course when you need to.
“Studies show that stepping out of your comfort zone leads to greatly increased productivity, creativity, and the ability to cope with unexpected changes and further your success.” (How to Destroy Your Comfort Zone and Improve Your Life: A Science-Backed Guide)
Productivity, creativity, ability to cope…those are resources necessary for GROWTH. Here are 10 ways you can step out of the zone, find and maintain resources, and keep GROWing:
- Pick up the phone. Call one or more people every day and find out what’s new and how you might help them.
- Volunteer. Volunteering not only helps others, it helps you. Studies of people who volunteer show they experience greater well-being from the powerful sense of connection to others.
- Share value. Conduct a workshop, speak at an event, write a blog post, advertise, email, call or post to social media. Put yourself out there – you have value. And try joining with others in all of your sharing activities for even more impact.
- Research something. Pick a topic you’d like to know more about, or one you have an opinion on. Whether you find something unexpected, gain expertise you can share, or become more confident on your position, you will gain from seeking knowledge.
- Join a group. Check out chambers of commerce, industry organizations, and other specialty groups that you share interests with. Join and engage with them.
- Start a group. Have an interest that isn’t met, or met to your satisfaction with the groups available? Join with some others who share your interests or pains and start your own.
- Network. Stay visible, meet new people and stay in touch with current connections to share value with each other. Get out of your comfort zone by talking with people you don’t know and looking for new and different ways to connect, like meetings or places where you may not know or have anything apparent in common with anyone.
- Learn new things. Check your local library site, the groups you belong to, or the Google machine to find courses and workshops, or go back to school to further your personal and professional development. Be sure to take advantage of the networking value of classes and workshops, and share your new knowledge!
- Change things up. Whether it’s a new product or service you think will benefit the people you serve, or value you can add to current ones, change it up a bit and see how it’s received. Activities 1-8 provide great input for making positive changes.
- Change your thought. This is perhaps where most stay squarely in their comfort zone. Seeing reality in a different light. You are not lacking, you are attracting and grateful. Want more, better, different? Repeat that. I am attracting xxx to accomplish xxx. I am grateful for the xxx that allows me to xxx. Nothing will magically change, but when you know that wealth, health, and happiness are yours, you will open the doors to them. A feeling of lack is like a closed door, a feeling of abundance is like an open one. It’s much easier see through open doors.
Every time you get out of your comfort zone, you open doors to gaining rewards, opportunities, and well-being.
GROWTH=Gaining Rewards Opportunities and Well-being Together Holistically
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