Putting in effort is hard, isn’t it? So, what do you do? You postpone your goal and rebound to your old habits. That’s when you’re in your comfort zone.

Why do we stay in our comfort zone?

The decision to remain in the comfort zone stems from 3 factors.

1. The fear of uncertainty

Aiming for better goals involves an element of risk. You might have to spend more time, money, and effort which may not pay off. Depending on the goal you’re chasing, you could face other consequences where you lose what you already have.

Such negative possibilities trigger a fear of the unknown. Grappled by the suspicion, you choose to hold on tight to what you have.

2. Comfort

A more straightforward cause for the comfort zone is comfort itself. Chasing a difficult goal requires compromising current convenience for a better future. But, since we’re all living in the present, we give in to the temptation of instant gratification. We laze around instead of putting in the hard work upfront for future returns.

3. Problem vs inconvenience threshold

Even if people know they have a problem, the trouble it causes needs to reach a threshold before they start acting. For example, even if people hate their job, they stick to it because it pays a salary good enough to run expenses and a little more. A layer of flab around the belly does not warrant a strong enough reason to workout.

Each person has a different threshold. For you, the breaking point might be unable to save half your salary while your coworker might live a merry life by having enough to manage expenses.

Irrespective of what your definition is, the moment the inconvenience crosses a threshold, you start acting. Specific events can trigger a response too.

If your job isn’t paying enough to manage your expenses, you hunt for another one even if takes effort.

If your weight gain starts creating health issues, you start jogging even though you hate it.

How do you get out of your comfort zone?

Each person has different reasons to remain rooted to where they are. Based on your circumstances, personality, the goal in question, and motivational levels, each of these tips can produce varying effects. Based on your obstacle, you’re the right person to determine which among these pointers is worth trying out.

1. Simplify the first step:

For many of the tasks you procrastinate, performing the first step is the most painful. Once you manage to sail past that barrier, the rest follows without as much discomfort.

For example:

The hardest part of waking up is sitting up on your bed

One of the biggest barriers to working out is getting ready and showing up

If you make the first step easy to bear, you’ll increase your chances of making progress. If you plan to go for a jog in the morning, keeping your clothing and footwear ready the previous night makes jogging a tad bit easier.

2. Aim for smaller goals when you begin

Aiming for massive goals has its advantages. But, if you expect gargantuan results in a short span, you could demotivate yourself when things don’t move as expected.

If you’re broke and you want to make a million dollars, aim for 5000$ first. If you look at the final goal as one single piece, you’ll overwhelm yourself and give up. But, if you break your target into smaller chunks, you build momentum and motivation to keep going.Once you achieve one milestone of your goal, step it up, aim higher, and inch closer to your final goal.

Related article: How to make incremental progress with marginal gains

3. Identify the source of your comfort zone

The story of the falcon and the branch teaches a valuable lesson about the comfort zone.

Once there was a king who received a gift of two glorious falcons who were considered to be the best. Thrilled by their rarity, he handed them over to his best trainer to hone their skills. A few months later, the trainer showed up at the King’s chamber.

“I have some news for you, your majesty. One of the falcons is flying majestically in the sky but unfortunately, the other bird has not budged from its branch from the day it arrived.”

But the king was hell-bent on training both the falcons. He summoned renowned sorcerers and healers to tend to the immobile bird, but no one succeeded. The King had run out of options and had no clue on how to make the falcon fly.

The next day, a farmer approached the King and mentioned, he’d like to try. The King has no hopes because well-known people had failed at the attempt. But, since he had nothing to lose, he allowed the farmer to proceed.

When the King stood beside his window the next morning, he noticed both falcons flying right next to his room. Astonished by the feat, he immediately summoned the farmer to know the secret behind his success.

The farmer replied with his head bowed, “It was simple, your highness. I cut off the branch on which the falcon was seated.”

The moral of the story is, eliminating the source of your comfort zone can force you to pursue the goals you’ve been postponing.

4. Try methods that you’re comfortable with first

If you have never worked out before, don’t try to pick the most effective exercise for losing weight. Take your interests into account too.

Even if running can help you lose weight the quickest, not everyone enjoys it. If you’re one of them, you can try lifting weights, playing a sport, taking a long brisk walk or swimming.

Likewise, to cultivate a habit of eating healthy, do not go from a diet of burgers and pizzas to that of salads and lean meat right away. Cut down unnecessary calories from the food you least enjoy. Maybe the coke or the chips?

If you have to learn swimming, would you start in the swimming pool or dive into the ocean? Common sense, right? Unfortunately, not many apply the same logic to their goals.

If you try to swing from one extreme to another, your body will struggle to deal with the sudden change and give up before you gain momentum. Instead, start easy and give your brain time to adapt. You can increase the challenge one step at a time.

5. Reduce overthinking

Overthinking makes problems, especially the little ones, appear more difficult than they are. The more you think and analyze, the more reasons you find to stay away from the decision or action. For example, if you’re thinking about how people will judge you in the gym, you’ll never set foot there to exercise.

Do not go deep into every little decision you have to make. At times, take a leap of faith. You’ll either succeed or learn from the experience.

Conclusion

If you want to achieve great things in life, you have to step outside your comfort zone. If you stay within your circle of convenience, you’re neither moving nor growing.