The dangers of being dangerously comfortable

How far have you ventured out of your comfort zone lately? Are you dangerously comfortable?

When I first started my Passion Catalyst work, everything was out of my comfort zone. I was recreating myself in my career, and balancing precariously on the high wire of survival along the way. So it was a welcome relief when I was ultimately able to fall into a groove. I found what worked and settled in to enjoy the ride.

But without realizing it, I settled in for too long. I got too comfortable, and coasted along repeating what worked. The result? I got complacent. I started feeling stagnant and stuck - not exactly a strong selling point for someone who makes his living helping people find passion.

Getting out of your comfort zone is like going to the gym for your mind, your confidence, and your creativity. It forces you to engage things in a new way. It stimulates you to think new thoughts and see things in a different light. It expands the scope of what you see as currently within reach. Without it, your mind gets flabby.

The whole experience of falling into the comfort zone doldrums prompted me to write an article for Motto magazine on Thriving in the Discomfort Zone.

The article offers several suggestions for building the Discomfort Zone into your life. Here are a couple of my favorites...

Question your comfort. At the end of every week or every month, ask yourself, “Am I uncomfortable enough? Am I taking enough action that takes me out of the complacency of the known? Am I taking any?” If you’re not, use the list you made from the last step as a source of ideas for uncomfortable action to take.

Experiment. Often the fear of going beyond your comfort zone comes from a black-and-white perception of failure and success. Instead of something that absolutely must yield a superb outcome, look at your steps as experiments. The goal of an experiment is not to achieve perfection, it’s to learn. It’s impossible for an experiment to fail.

Learn to not know. Part of what makes the Discomfort Zone uncomfortable is the fact that we don’t know what’s going to happen. The more accustomed you can get to operating in the realm of the unknown, the less daunting those forays beyond your comfort will be.

How are you exploring your Discomfort Zone right now? How could you?

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

Comments

[Douglas Mitchell]

Great. Post Curt. I'm currently super uncomfortable. Currently, I am...as you were, "...recreating myself in my career, and balancing precariously on the high wire of survival along the way." It's invigorating and horrifying simultaneously. I'm rebuilding, rebranding, and making the pledge to spread my wings and do what I've always known was possible...with passion!

[Curt Rosengren]

Excellent! Congratulations on taking the leap, Douglas.

"Invigorating and horrifying simultaneously." Great way to put it. That pretty much sums up the first year in my Passion Catalyst work. Definitely worth it though!