Step Out of Your Comfort Zone for Greater Self-Fulfillment

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In our forties, we may think stepping out of our comfort zone is easy. After all, we have life experience and some successes, right? Not really. Some women are about to discover their potential in their forties and may be afraid to take the leap because, for so long, they have been living in the shadow of someone else or their own. So, today, let’s talk about how to step out of your comfort zone for greater self-fulfillment

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone for Greater Self-Fulfillment

A feeling of self-fulfillment results from knowing that you’re living at your best, living life near the limits of your capabilities. As I said, many of us are not challenging ourselves sufficiently to feel self-fulfilled. In our forties, we can do that. The main obstacle is the desire to be comfortable. But we only grow when we live beyond our comfort zone.

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A great example from nature

Did you know that organisms that aren’t stressed enough early in life also don’t thrive? It’s true. For example, the temperature variations that bird and reptile eggs are subjected to increase the vigor in the newly hatched animals. The resulting hatchling is weak if an egg is incubated at a very precise temperature.

In many ways, we are similar to that hatchling. A lack of challenge and stimulation decreases our ability to handle the world’s demands. Our capabilities actually decrease. Obviously, this is a movement in the wrong direction if we really want a feeling of self-fulfillment.

Expanding one’s comfort zone can be scary or exciting, depending on your perspective. But regardless, it’s at least a little uncomfortable. This is how we grow as human beings.

The key is to start slowly and begin to expand your horizons. Soon, it will feel normal. A strong step in the right direction is all that’s needed, then another. You’ll be shocked and thrilled at the results. Then, it’s time to move a little further.

Scenario: From Shyness to Confident Public Speaker

Perhaps you can identify with a desire to become comfortable with public speaking; however, you’re naturally shy. If you’re really shy, you most likely aren’t very social. You may even have difficulty looking a stranger in the eye.

Naturally, your inclination will be to avoid other people. But humans are social animals. We have a fundamental need for companionship and other human interaction. How self-fulfilled will you be if you can’t even interact comfortably with others?

You could join a public speaking club and schedule three speeches each week, but that will likely be too difficult – so much so that you may quit before you ever begin.

Instead, try this strategy: get to know your neighbors and ask strangers for direction. You’ll eventually feel comfortable with these tasks if you do them with sufficient regularity. You can then extend beyond that and start having meaningful conversations with strangers. Eventually, you could become a comfortable, relaxed public speaker.

By expanding your comfort zone, you provide yourself with more options. More options lead to a life with far more variety. When you feel like you have options, you can realize fulfillment.

How to Expand Your Comfort Zone

Try this easy process:

Choose something from your own life that’s limiting you. It could be communicating with others. Perhaps you’d like to be a musician but are afraid to perform. You may want to become a writer but are too nervous about being judged.

Take one small step. Now, think about one small, relatively easy step you could take towards realizing that new activity. It can’t be completely without discomfort, or it won’t increase your comfort zone. Perform this activity repeatedly until you can take the next step.

Pick something else. Repeat step 2.

Rinse and repeat.

It really is that simple.

Increasing your comfort zone is uncomfortable and challenging, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be doing it! The key is to move forward at a pace you can manage but keep moving.

You’ll be so happy where you end up!

To your fulfillment,

Jacqueline