Pushing past your comfort zone

Pushing past your comfort zone is surprisingly difficult for some.

Everyone's comfort zone is different. For some they have a large comfort zone and for others it is quite small. The comfort zone is 'designed' to minimise risk, anxiety and stress in an individual. It works by ensuring that the individual has familiar behavioural patterns, routines and activities. This makes them comfortable in the situations that they encounter.

For Mavericks being 'comfortable' is boring. They are curious creatures that want to push themselves to the limit.Click To Tweet

 To discover boundaries by intellectual challenge or physical activity. 'If you aren't living on the edge and facing challenge - than how do you know you are alive?' This is a serious question that Mavericks ponder.

This need to feel alive can have both positive and negative consequences. The more Socialised the Maverick is (in contrast to Extreme) the more likelihood that the need to push past the comfort zone will be positive for all. It must be remembered that Mavericks already have large comfort zone and are generally fearless.

Pushing past your comfort zone - it's easy!

When confronted with someone with a small comfort zone, Mavericks are exasperated. Real growth only occurs when you push past your comfort zone, so they are astonished that someone would choose to stay small. After all, pushing past your comfort zone isn't hard, it just takes effort!

Small comfort zones have a real destabilising effect for business owners, managers and employees. Businesses don't grow and employees care less about the organisations they work in.

Here are a few pointers to pushing past your comfort zone:

• Recognise where your comfort zone is
• Decide that you want to expand your comfort zone
• Be curious, new knowledge goes a long way
• Do things to build up your resilience
• Improve your self-efficacy
• Trust your instincts
• Become a better thinker
• Do something new each day to move you forward
• Accept that failure is often a step towards success
• Plan for success and hold yourself accountable
• Decide that part of your self identity is that you are someone that regularly expands their comfort zone

Remember - your comfort zone is a restriction that YOU ALONE impose. Therefore, expand your comfort zone and grow.

Go on, be Maverick!