Everyone has a comfort zone and sometimes it can be difficult to pull ourselves out of those zones. For many of us, it takes a lot of work and time to weight up the pros and cons to make even the smallest of changes if it means veering from our traditional routines or actions.

You do what you do because it leads to a relatively stress-free and non-challenging outcome. You understand the risks involved with your routine and attempt to avoid high levels of anxiety as you go about your day. Perhaps you go to work via the same route every day? Maybe you have a steadfast routine at work? So why should you look to make a change if everything is going smoothly?

Move out of your comfort zone

To increase your performance and up your game, you need to embrace a small amount of fear each day. Rest safely in the knowledge that you have exactly the right amount of confidence to pull yourself through each challenge. As a result, you accelerate your ability to cope with stress and anxiety. You know the saying “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”? Well, given you are alive and reading this …

But who wants to experience increased stress and anxiety, I hear you ask.

Tackle the situation head on

To state it even more simply, remember how well you did when you had that deadline to meet; and despite the odds, you did it all and excelled with style. It wasn’t luck! It was achieved by you tackling the challenge head on from your optimal state or state of ‘productive discomfort’. You were able to push through invisible boundaries and get it done.

Learning new things and broadening your horizons is a great thing to achieve regardless of where they are on the business ladder. Big changes don’t have to occur overnight. Often the smallest steps are the best.

Cement your foothold on each step and continue as you mean to go on. Do something different each day to test to water and weigh up different opinions rather than discounting them at the outset. Once you open your eyes to change, it is amazing what occurs. That seemingly “unsafe” choice that requires every ounce of confidence you can muster may ultimately reap great rewards.

Watch the stress levels

A word of advice: try not to tip the scales too much when it comes to your anxiety levels. Veer outside of that optimal zone and you will, quite simply, be too stressed to do anything at all. It’s a delicate balance, and ideally, your confident self can hold it all together.

The great thing about spending time outside of your comfort zone is that your zones will expand, enabling you to move the boundaries over a given period. Challenge yourself as often as you can. Be inspired by new things around you. By doing so, you will have a much simpler time dealing with future and unexpected changes which are just around the corner.