Everyone enjoys being comfortable.  Being safe, secure, and happy is a basic human desire.  For the most part, we prefer the known to the unknown, the predictable to the unpredictable, and the risk-free to the risky.

However, bringing goals to reality requires us to leave our comfort zone.  This requirement is in direct conflict with our innate desire to remain safe.  So, in order to realize your dreams, you must act in a manner contrary to normal preferences.

A major deterrent to leaving your comfort zone is the fear of the unknown combined with the fear of failure.  Failure has many negative connotations.  Subsequently, most people seek to avoid failure at all costs.  In so doing, they also avoid achieving their goals.

Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.  It’s a necessity if you are going to get the most out of your life.  Rather than fearing failure, welcome the opportunity to expand your horizons.  Every successful person has moved outside their comfort zone.

Leaving your comfort zone doesn’t imply reckless behavior.  Rather, it is done only after careful thought, preparation, and planning.  Nothing in life is guaranteed.  Staying in your comfort zone has only an illusion of safety.  Leaving feels as if it’s fraught with peril because you enter an area that is completely different to you.

Consider leaving your comfort zone as an exercise that will reward you with new knowledge and experiences.  Have fun with the process.  Even if something doesn’t work out as planned, you will be OK.

Your initial forays outside the comfort zone can begin with innocuous activities that enable you to get comfortable with change.  Take a different route to or from work.  Go out to eat at a restaurant you haven’t been to before.  Pick a completely different destination for your vacation.  Strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Although these activities may seem insignificant, they get you used to doing things you haven’t done before.  This is great practice for venturing further outside of your comfort zone.  As with other things in life, this takes practice.  With each small success, your confidence level will grow.

The bottom line is that in order to realize your dreams, you have to leave your comfort zone.  Even though you may be scared, you have to do it.  At first you will feel uneasy, but continue anyway.  The rewards are well worth the effort.

NOW AVAILABLE: “Dare to Live Without Limits,” the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.

© Bryan Golden

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