As I left my house a wave of nausea swept over me and I threw up on the driveway. I was on my way to my first training in the burn building, which was part of my training as a firefighter. The burn building is a concrete shell of a building. It was filled with pallets and old furniture that with the help of diesel fuel was turned into a blazing fire that we had to crawl into so that we could practice working in a live fire environment. Our instructor had told us that one breath of the super-heated air would kill us, so we’d better be prepared to properly use our breathing apparatus. No wonder I was super-nervous, this training got me far out of my comfort zone! Fortunately, I could quieten my racing mind, and I was fine during the exercise in the burn building.
I was thinking of this episode when I encountered the sign above at the entrance of an office. Staying inside our comfort zone is comfortable. But by doing so we repeat an action or behavior that we have become habituated to. We are relying on routine, and as a result there is little room for growth or expansion. That does not mean, of course, that doing things we are comfortable with are not worthwhile; those activities may bring satisfaction, social contacts, or relaxation that we may need. But we grow when we try something new. That may make us feel scared and insecure, hence it involves stepping out of our comfort zone. And that is where we grow and expand.
The example of my training as a firefighter is, of course, physical and extreme. But we might step out of our comfort zone in many ways. Perhaps we play our musical instrument in public, we might join a group with people we don’t know, or we could have the difficult conversation that we have postponed for too long. There are many ways of getting out of our comfort zone. But when we play music for others, we might just enjoy it and discover we bring joy to others too. Joining a new group of people could open the door for new friendships. A difficult conversation might clear the air. What satisfaction might come out of this! In the image below you see me after the training in the burn building. My content face and the Nomex hood placed in a silly way on my head testify of the satisfaction that I felt.
What is it that you would like to do but you have not done because it makes you feel uncomfortable? It might involve an activity that could just be fun, such as singing karaoke. Or it might be a step that could be life-changing such as working with a coach or making a career change. If you really want to do something, you could consider whether it is worth the risk stepping out of your comfort zone. And who knows what happens then? You might receive a standing ovation in a karaoke bar, now THAT is something to aspire to!