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No. 546, May 29, 2006

Eight ways to expand your comfort zone

Making ourselves comfortable with the unknown, or expanding our comfort zone as we say in Strategies is a basic ingredient in learning and growing as a human being. Here are eight strategies to help us to discover new aspects of ourselves, understand ourselves better and grow towards becoming more of who we are.

We can build on our strengths. By building on our strengths we shorten the discomfort of growth. We achieve results and confidence more quickly which encourages our further development. We are more often in flow. Strengths is a very effective ingredient in human growth, which Marcus Buckingham shows in his book Now, discover your strengths.
We can use positive thinking and focus on our successes. In this way we keep our good feelings during our visits outside of our comfort zone. We focus on what we succeed at, what we do well and celebrate our successes. The visit to the unknown becomes more enjoyable.
We can make a dream or vision come true. When we make a vision clear to us, we acknowledge all the positive consequences. The obstacles then seem surmountable because there is so much to win. We walk out into the unknown because we feel it is definitely worth it.
We can study and practise. We can learn about the object of our growth and practise under more safe conditions. Many expeditions to mountain tops or to the poles start in this way.
We can engage ourselves in something we enjoy doing. When we enjoy what we are doing we sometimes expand our comfort zone without being aware of it. Driven by joy we wander into the unknown without worry and learn new things.
We can take on the challenges that life serves us. What we cannot control we best deal with by taking it on as a challenge. We can see the challenge as an opportunity to grow as a person. We simply choose to "own" the challenge that has come our way. People who have healed themselves from various health problems have often taken this path.
We can make a choice with no return. Many of the Swedes who emigrated to America in the 19th century did this. With a single ticket to America they chose a future of uncertainty but with perceived possibilities.
We can make friends with our feelings. We simply choose to accept our uncomfortable feelings. This often helps people who talk to groups. It is uncomfortable at times, but this is okay and we learn to accept it. Eventually we make friends with the feeling or emotion.

When we get on with our life in a positive way we will often expand our comfort zone without even knowing it. At times we will reach new plateaus where we realise that we have grown and have become more of the person we intended to be.

Creative regards! Jonas Himmelstrand