Resist Stagnation and Drive Evolution

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so do you want to remain stagnant? Without thinking too much, the answer will mostly be a strong, resounding “no!” Therefore, if you want to resist stagnation in life, you must keep evolving and looking for ways to drive change.  

What is the relationship between evolving in life and comfort zones? 

Evolution is even more important because you can hardly do anything great without growing and expanding your relationships. The three most important aspects of evolving today are your career, business, and life. But these three aspects are interconnected. So when you drive evolution in one area of your life, you also drive evolution in others. How can you then drive this change? The answer is simple: step out of your comfort zone.

For a foundational understanding, let’s define the words “evolution” and “comfort zone.” 

Evolution 

Evolution is derived from the Latin word evolvere, which means “to unroll.” This definition means that evolution is gradual, like a revealing process toward the final destination. It is not sudden; evolution is a change with a speed governor. 

Comfort Zone

Think of the comfort zone as a bubble or radius where you are at the center, like a little dot. When you are a child, this small circle surrounds you very closely because you haven’t tried many things to know what you are comfortable with. The more you try new things and grow your perspective, the wider your horizons become. In the same way, when you expand your radius, you push your boundaries even further toward success. So don’t see it necessarily as stepping out of your comfort zone into discomfort, but as expanding your experience like the champion you are. 

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone: 5 helpful ideas

Five ways can help you safely expand your experience zone while you evolve in your career, business, and family. They are:

1. Experimentation: As children, we experimented when we wanted to try something new. That’s because life is, by default, an experiment. You won’t know your other comfort zones if you don’t try. So don’t think about it, just do it. 
2. Recalling: If you can’t find the courage to jump at it, you can go another route. Recall a time you stepped out of your comfort zone and reflect on how you handled it. Let your lessons purposefully guide you. 
3. Seek help: Seeking help is another way to find reliable advice. The bold step won’t seem so risky if you feel like someone’s got your back. 
4. Gather resources: Look for outside resources and pieces of advice so that you can better prepare yourself for the task ahead. 
5. Reveal: The things you need to expand are already inside of you. You only need to look within yourself. One thing you can do is reconnect to your hobbies; it gives you a sense of familiarity that you need to take the leap of faith. 

Step out of your comfort zone for driving change

Remember that we are like balloons. Balloons only do their best work when they are under pressure. We are designed to be pressured and challenged. When you feel challenged, that’s when you grow. 

Remember:

• You can only live a life of legacy through expansion and movement. Stagnation is not the way.
• You are not designed to deflate or shrink but to rise high and expand far more than you could imagine.
• You cannot evolve if you remain in the same environment.
• Evolution involves a feeling of fear and anxiety. You need to grow past those feelings to truly rise.
• Yet, it is better to feel intense emotions than be numb. Don’t give up.