My daughter came home from school this past Friday and told me she learned about the concept of operating outside her comfort zone while learning. It was taught as a learning tool for the kids in her class, but I think it relates to all of us in life.
#everythingineedtoknowilearnedinsecondgrade
You see, there are three zones we can operate in: the comfort zone, the risk zone, and the danger zone.
When we operate in our comfort zone we are happy and content, but we don’t learn and grow. We may feel safe because we are in a place of comfort, but the potential for growth is stifled. We stagnate. (Truth: I REALLY like this zone.)
When we operate in our risk zone we push ourselves out of our safety net. We are scared and intimidated, because we are going out of where our current knowledge is, but we grow and learn. This is just the beginning.
When we operate in our danger zone AWESOME things can happen. We dream big and sometimes fail big, but learn amazing lessons as we grow. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward, right? Even failure brings learning opportunities, but we can’t know this until we try. Go big or go home, right?
Here’s the thing. I LOVE my comfort zone. It’s easy and safe and just the best. There is no failure here because nothing big is attempted. The status quo stays the same and all is well. Yet something is missing. Sameness and routine is all good and wonderful, until it gets boring. You wonder, is this all there is?
Blogging for me was stepping out into the risk zone. To put myself out there on a daily basis as a “style expert?” THAT was scary. I worried about what people would think. I worried TOO MUCH about what people would think. And then I just said “screw it,” and wrote a post and published it, and 1000+ posts later I am still doing it. It was a risk to press publish and create a blog and let my inner dreams show, and I did it.
(Wearing overalls scared me, too. Sometimes you’ve gotta start small, little triumphs can lead to bigger things!)
Yet, I still needed MORE.
I wanted more, even though I really am very happy and content. But I like to learn and grow and push myself. Always. I like to be the best me I can be, and that means looking for ways I can challenge myself. I decided to help launch a hair care company and that SCARED ME. It still does. To put myself out there and impose on people and learn new ways to work. That is super scary. Yet the results are super awesome, so I continue to do what scares me.
I think we all have our own personal version of our comfort, risk, and danger zones. I want to know what you can do that really scares the pants off you. Not the dangerous risk stuff, we all know what I mean, right? I mean the stuff that scares you, yet gives you butterflies and makes you DREAM and creates that magic inside your head and makes you say, “What if…?”
What if you go outside your comfort zone and create the reality that scares you and exhilarates you and makes you dream bigger than you ever have before?
What if.
