Let’s Get Uncomfortable!
When did we learn to settle for things even though they may no longer fit with who we are or who we want to be? When did we get so afraid to get uncomfortable and make changes?
Let’s go way back in time…to being a baby! You know why babies don’t settle for staying still the rest of their lives? They figure out how to crawl. It’s not easy but they get uncomfortable and keep trying until they can crawl. Once babies figure out how to crawl, do they settle with crawling forever because that’s what they know? No! They get uncomfortable by doing hard things and figure out how to walk. Despite all the falls and bumps, babies keep going. They don’t judge themselves, their progress (or lack thereof), or what they may look like in the learning process. Most importantly, babies don’t compare themselves to other babies! Isn’t that refreshing! Babies are curious, and they follow that curiosity even if they get uncomfortable or fail the first (or second or third…) time.
As we get older, we forget this curiosity is still within us. We forget (or ignore) the fire in our belly to want more. From a young age, we layer on judgments from others and ourselves that we allow to define ourselves. We put power in outside forces to define what we can and cannot do and bury our own instinct– sometimes to the point we forget it is still there! We settle for a life in our comfort zone ignoring that nagging feeling in us wanting more. Can you relate? When we think we know it all…maybe we could take a lesson from babies!
Here are few simple suggestions to start pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone:
1. Don’t ignore. When the not so comfortable feelings arise (and they will), acknowledge them, move through them, and move on. Ignoring these feelings actually makes them scream louder.
2. Drive a different route to the store. It’s as simple as that! Making one small change in your routine switches up the monotony that can occur in our comfort zone.
3. Move your body in a different way. If you don’t go for walks, take a short walk outside. If you have never tried yoga, find a free yoga class on YouTube.
Don’t think too hard about this. Just take action and make a small change to your day. Small, consistent changes can create big ripples. And remember, don’t take a U-turn back to Comfort Town!
