It’s understandable to want to stay inside your comfort zones. After all, it’s the easiest thing to do! It’s where we feel safe, where we don’t have to open ourselves up to criticism and hurt, and where we can avoid making tough decisions.

Despite these so-called benefits, are we really doing ourselves a disservice by not putting ourselves out there? What are we missing? Below are some reasons why staying inside your comfort zone is ultimately hurting you:

• It Takes Action to Create Change. If your life isn’t where you want it to be, then blame other people all you like, but you’re the only one truly responsible for your circumstances. If you stick only to what you know, without ever-changing, how can you expect your life to get any better?
• You Can’t Grow Unless You Stretch. Without stretching outside of your comfort zone, you’ll never grow as a person. Think about people who are masters in their field. Do you think they weren’t scared before they started? Do you think it was easy for them to try something new? Did you think they had instant success? Every time you take a small step outside of your comfort zone, you grow as a person. Your comfort zone grows bigger as a result, making it easier and easier to stretch yourself to new limits.
• You’ll Never Discover Your True Identity. If you stick to what you already know, then you’ll never find your true identity and calling in life. Even if you think you’ve already found it, there could be something you haven’t tried that lights you up and introduces you to even more amazing possibilities. Taking risks expose parts of you that might otherwise have remained hidden. They can show you that you’re a lot stronger than you ever thought you were. In turn, these new realizations will make it easier to try new things in the future.
• Sometimes Holding Back Can Hurt You MORE.  When you know you’re holding back and staying within your comfort zone, it feels uncomfortable. You get that nagging feeling that you should be doing more. Perhaps you’re frustrated because you want to develop new friendships but are too afraid to try. When this feeling becomes more painful than the thing you’re really scared of, you will push forward and venture outside of your safe space.

It’s not about taking drastic action and doing everything you’re terrified of. It’s about taking small steps, on a regular basis, so that your comfort zone just keeps on growing. What small steps can you take to widen your comfort zone? I’m interested in any thoughts or comments that you have.

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