If you are anything like I was, you may look at change and think “nope, I’m fine, I enjoy being organized and having a plan, I like knowing where things are, what may be coming, and having all my tools readily available for anything that may appear”.
All my life, right from grade school, throughout my military career, and up to now, I’ve been told to push my boundaries and to step outside my own box. I’ve always found that it was harder to do than it was to say.
What if I fail? What if people don’t like it? What if I waste all my time? What if I don’t meet my goal? Questions like those would always pop into my head, right before I try something new. That’s when I would ask myself; What if I succeed? What if people love it? What if I enjoy it? What if I surpass my goals? I think that we need to ask ourselves more positive “what if’s” compared to the negative ones.
But why is stepping outside my comfort zone so important? Here are some reasons that I found after doing some research:
- Opportunity to grow; Remember when you first were learning how to ride a bike? You probably thought that you would never learn, but you did. You can’t expect to evolve if you don’t push yourself.
- Learn about yourself; Taking that step outside of your comfort zone will teach you about your strengths and it will show you your weaknesses. Only then can your improve yourself and become more confident in your own knowledge and skills.
- Expand your creativity; Trying something new may help you find a new talent or hobby that you didn’t even know about. New and challenging situations require you to learn and branch-out in finding creative solutions.
- Boost your self-confidence; Proving to yourself that you can push past your own boundaries and limitations is a huge self-esteem and self-confidence builder.
- Help you confront challenges; Life in general is unpredictable, building confidence in yourself will help you through some of life’s curve-balls. Knowing that you’ve overcome challenges in your past will give you the skills and confidence to face challenges in the future.
- Life becomes more interesting; Adventures and excitement live outside that box. When we are stuck in the same routine every day, life can start to be boring. Look at those obstacles pass your comfort zone as opportunities and soon you will find yourself reaching for them.
Painting has been and continues to be an exciting adventure for me. I feel that I have so much to learn about being an Artist. The mixture of paint, the texture of the canvas, the strokes of a brush, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The self-confidence that I am gaining as I strengthen my artistic skill is what I look forward to each day.
The funny thing is that the more steps I take away from my comfort zone the bigger my comfort zone grows. So step outside your own comfort zone and see what happens.
