This Is What Leaving Your Comfort Zone REALLY Is Because It’s Not Just Quitting Your 9-5 And Traveling

We often adopt the notion that for change to be valid, it must always be grand. We burden ourselves with the expectation that we must turn our lives around overnight. We disregard the “little” things that we can do and instead choose to focus on the same go big or go home mentality that frankly keeps us stuck in our mundane ways more often than we care to admit.

Because breaking out of your comfort zone is not just making a drastic change and wishing for the best.

It’s freeing yourself from the rigid cognitive beliefs you hold about yourself and how your life is “supposed” to be lived. It’s gaining flexibility and becoming more open to the possibility that life is ultimately a series of endless ones.

 Sometimes, it’s as simple as realizing that there is nothing really comfortable about your “comfort zone” after all.

It’s accepting that comfort is just another name we give to the things that protect us from fear.

Settling for a career that doesn’t make us happy often stems from the fear of failing to find one that does.

Being afraid of getting hurt once again can persuade us to maintain our self-sabotaging habits that push away the chance of finding the people, places, or things we truly love.

Not pursuing our passions or dreams and choosing to opt for a half-lived life can even result from the fear of getting exactly what it is we want.

And while it is true that the only way to get over our fears is to face them; this transformation won’t happen overnight if we don’t first take the time to break out of our mental traps that convince us that finding freedom is an all or nothing matter.

So, do the “little” things because breaking out of your comfort zone and living your best life has everything to do with the small steps you take along the way. 

It’s saying yes to an invitation you would normally turn down or saying no to one that only ever fills you with unease.

It’s choosing to slow down when the world tells you to keep up; giving yourself time to make decisions instead of jumping into the next job opportunity or relationship that seems like the “most logical” choice.

It’s writing or singing or painting your heart out even if you have no intention to share your art; it’s creating for your sanity.

It’s practicing a little more honesty every day; not only with others but also with yourself.

It’s swallowing your pride and taking a risk on the feelings you want to cultivate rather than keeping it safe for those you’d rather do without.

It’s reflecting. Asking questions. Listening without needing to respond. Focusing on being happy in your presence alone.

It’s investing your time in creating blueprints instead of escape routes; because you can quit your job on a whim or book a 30-day cruise but the answer to obtaining true freedom and creating the life you’ve always wanted has resided within you all along.