How To Force Myself Out Of My Comfort Zone: 7 Tips

When I learned how to force myself out of my comfort zone, it took significant efforts to change my mindset. It’s not easy, but it’s well worth the challenge.

For new entrepreneurs, it’s hard to try out things you haven’t done before. Especially when starting out in business, there will be times you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone. 

In this article, I will go over seven tips on how entrepreneurs can step out of their comfort zone. I will go over some of my experiences in how I’ve overcome some of those initial challenges.

  1. How Can I Know What My Comfort Zone Is?
  2. Keep Learning Until You Die
  3. Change Up Your Routine
  4. Speak Up When Something Is Bugging You
  5. Be The First One To Start A Conversation
  6. Embrace Failure
  7. Avoid Regrets Of Not Doing Something Sooner
  8. Be Open To Change
How to force myself out of my comfort zone: This post goes over some tips to coming out of your comfort zone.

How can I know what my comfort zone is?

We’ve heard of this term often throughout life, but what is your comfort zone? I simply think of it as staying in your safe spot but never coming out of it.

If you never leave your safe spot, you won’t grow as an individual. You’ll remain stuck or there’s no room for improvement.

There are three psychological states we experience: the comfort zone, the optimal performance zone, and the danger zone (see the illustration below). The ideal zone to be in is the optimal performance zone, where we’re continually improving and growing all the time.

Whether you have a job or work for yourself, you want to keep pushing yourself to do better. It helps us to take on new challenges so that we can become better versions of our characters. 

How to force myself out of my comfort zone? This graph lays out the three psychological states of comfort.
notimekillers.com (White on performance management)
What Is Comfort Zone? Explained in 2 min.

How to force myself out of my comfort zone

It’s not easy trying things you haven’t done before. Especially for starting a business, there will be times you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone. Let’s discuss seven tips for dealing with the comfort zone problem.

Keep learning until you die

I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning, and it’s something that everyone should strive for. Most people don’t think about it, but learning does not stop after you finish formal education. 

I realize that real learning begins once you finish high school or college when you’re out experiencing the real world. What you do out in the real world will give you the best experiences possible, and to learn from mistakes you made as well.

If that’s increasing your skillset to make yourself more valuable tomorrow, I always encourage that. If not every single day, challenge yourself to learn something new each week.

How to force myself out of my comfort zone: Learning is something we need to keep doing until the day we die.

What I’m doing right now

Over the last few years, I’m getting better at communicating with others. Not only am I comfortable working with others around me, but it makes it easier to solve problems. It’s something I still struggle with, but I’m slowly improving on it.

Your comfort zone is where your dreams go to die. You’re either green and growing, or you’re brown and dying, there’s no in-between. Your comfort kills your ambition. Instead of being comfortable all the time, how can you make yourself feel uncomfortable? How can you push yourself just a little bit more every single day?

Rob Dial (Host of The Mindset Mentor Podcast & business coach)

Change up your routine

I’m a stickler for having a routine, as it helps me with planning my days out. While routines are helpful, it doesn’t hurt to change them up every now and then.

If you want to get more done, set an extra hour in your day dedicated to learning or doing an extra task. If you struggle with finding more time each day, challenge yourself to do a complete overhaul of your schedule.

Recent changes to my routine

Recently, I changed up my routine as I found myself struggling to get more done some days. I’m spending more time working on the weekends since that’s when I have the freest time available.

Although it’s not the most ideal schedule, I try to have that balance between work and breaks. But since I’ve changed my routine, I’m able to get more done than I was a few months ago.

Why am I scared to step out of my comfort zone?

Fear of the unknown is what holds people back. They rather avoid risking failure over experiencing unexpected success (or simply something better).

Speak up when something is bugging you 

There are times when you may have something bothering you. If it’s bothering you for a few days, write down your thoughts with pen and paper.

Or even better, talk to someone about it. If that person can help you address that problem, it may be a good idea to discuss it out loud with them.

It may be uncomfortable to do at first, but it can bring a better outcome in the end. I’ve gotten better at it over time, as it helps me work out my problems with other people.

How to force myself out of my comfort zone: If something is bothering you for some time, make sure to speak up about it.

Be the first one to start a conversation 

For some people, it’s not easy to start a conversation with a stranger. Sometimes, being the person initiating that conversation can lead to something special.

What I mean by that is that person could be a new customer of yours or even a possible partner. If they have similar interests as you do, that can lead to both of you working in a business together.

I encourage you to try it the next time you’re in an elevator. Remember the idea of the 30-second elevator pitch, such as:

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • So, what do you do for a living?

Embrace failure 

We’re taught to think of failure as a negative thing when it’s actually not the case. If you fail, keep in mind it’s not the end of the world.

When you fail, view your failure as a learning experience. There’s a lot you can learn from failing at something, and potentially discover ways to improve the next time around.

How to force myself out of my comfort zone: Failure is not the end all be all- it's more about learning from it.

When we think about failure, the problem is we’re concerned about disappointing others. On the other hand, do others want the same thing from us? Would it be better if we acted in our own best interests?

Failure happens to be a good thing, and we need to change our thinking around it. The sooner we realize it, the better we can improve ourselves.

What happens when you step outside your comfort zone?

By stepping outside of your comfort zone, you are taking a risk. Taking it on, however, opens up new opportunities for growth.

Avoid regrets of not doing something sooner

Going back to the point of failure, we may be concerned about the “What if it doesn’t work out?”. There’s no guarantee of success when you start a business, but it shouldn’t deter you from not starting and taking action.

You may pass on it today, but you might regret it later on. You might have the feeling today, “I wish I had started that sooner.”

The best time to start a business was five years ago. The second best time to start one is today. Don’t wait any longer- start now.

Eric T. Seil (editor of notimekillers.com)

My past regrets 

Today, I regret not starting my business ventures sooner. There was a time when I thought to myself, “I wish I had started that five years ago, or eight years ago. Imagine how much better off I could be right now.”

Now that I think about it, I know I can’t go back and change my decisions. The past is what it is, and all I can do is focus on moving forward.

I learned not too long ago that it’s best to start something earlier, Or when it comes to business, the best time to start a business was five years ago. The second best time to start one is today. Don’t wait any longer- start now.

How to force myself out of my comfort zone: Change is happening all the time, and it's good to embrace it.

Be open to change

Change is constantly happening around the world today: The world is much different than it was 10-20 years ago.

It’s why you need to quickly adapt to them, and push to be uncomfortable at times. Whether that’s changing jobs or relocating to another area, they’re not easy. But with those changes come new opportunities down the road.

For the most part, humans naturally don’t like change. We tend to want things to remain the same, and when change takes place, we feel uneasy and question why that’s taking place.

Although most people don’t like change, it’s necessary to adapt to an ever-changing world. The world is getting better as the years go by. When changes occur, it may take time to adjust to them.

Relevant article from notimekillers.com

Read next on “How To Focus On One Thing At A Time: My Thoughts For Work” to learn why doing one thing at a time can make you more productive and less distracted.

Final Words 

Coming out of your comfort zone is not easy, just as I went through the last few years. However, it can help you become a better version of yourself (or through more of your desires).

The points laid out earlier can help you move out of your comfort zone. Some of them can be challenging to take on; however, taking that action can bring the necessary changes you want to see happen.

When it comes to business, this topic applies to every entrepreneur. There will be times you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone. Once you see initial success and want to grow your business, it’ll be necessary to see those desired results.

Take the challenge today and work towards a better tomorrow. It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and take your business to the next level.

Your Turn: Do you struggle to come out of your comfort zone?

I would like to get your thoughts on this topic. Are you someone who tends to stay in your comfort zone? 

If so, have you thought about coming out of that safe spot? Are you afraid to take the steps you need to take to try something scary?

What’s the worst possible outcome if it doesn’t work out? What if it ends up working out after all?

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.

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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. 

He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. 

Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. 

“Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” 

In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. 

You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.

Self Photo 2019: Here's a picture at a building in downtown Chicago.

2 thoughts on “How To Force Myself Out Of My Comfort Zone: 7 Tips”

  1. Hi Eric,  

    Yes, you’re right. It’s hard to try out things you haven’t done before as an entrepreneur, especially when starting out in business.  

    If the person doesn’t think about the future and just relax because he/she is in a comfort zone, they will surely remain stuck or there’s no room for improvement, just like a rolling ball in a spot. 

    Reply
    • Hi Kayode,

      When starting a business, it’s not easy trying out new things for the first time. That may be one reason why people don’t start a business in the first place (It could be fear of the unknown).

      By not looking ahead, it can be easy staying in your comfort zone. As you mentioned, they’ll remain stuck and find it difficult to get ahead. 

      Your points are well said, and something we need to keep in mind. It sounds like you have the right mindset when it comes to comfort zone.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- they’re greatly appreciated.

      Reply

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