Our comfort zone gets a bad rap, doesn’t it?
You’ve probably heard it before…
“Great things never come from comfort zones.”
“Comfort is the enemy of progress.”
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
But here’s the thing…
Your comfort zone isn’t a bad place. It’s where you feel peace, safety, joy, fulfillment—all the amazing feelings in life.
But “comfortable” doesn’t mean happy.
I experienced this personally!
After the housing market crash, I stayed in the mortgage business for five years—miserable but comfortable. I knew what I was going to get—it was predictable. Even though I wasn’t happy, I stayed because it was comfortable. It’s what I knew.
And that kept me stuck and afraid to make a change.
If we live in our comfort zone 24/7, we stop growing. We stop evolving.
But we don’t want to live outside our comfort zone either! That’s a whole lot of anxiety and fear—a heart attack waiting to happen.
It’s not about living outside your comfort zone–it’s about stretching it!
Here’s where the magic happens:
Take steps outside your comfort zone in service of your BIG goals and dreams—
then go back to what’s comfortable.
And over time?
Your comfort zone expands.
Those things that once seemed scary don’t feel so scary anymore.
What once felt terrifying eventually becomes totally comfortable.
What once felt impossible becomes something you’re proud of.
And trust me, I get it—it’s freaking scary!
I used to be terrified of public speaking!
Just the idea of being called on to speak in front of a group made my stomach turn. My face would turn bright red. Not to mention the sweating!
Even saying my name at a networking event scared the crap out of me!
But little by little, I stretched myself.
First, I practiced introducing myself at a table of ten people.
Then, I worked on delivering my elevator pitch.
Next, 10-minute presentations to my networking group—and I won’t lie, the first few, I flew through it at super speed like I was the Tasmanian Devil.
Eventually, I started welcoming 100 women to the monthly Women In Business Breakfast.
I just kept saying yes to opportunities that made me uncomfortable–in service of my bigger goal, which was to be comfortable speaking in front of a large audience.
I practiced. I stretched. Over and over.
And several years later, I found myself standing in front of 340 people—completely comfortable and confident—delivering a one-hour presentation I wrote on creating authentic happiness.
Now?
I get paid to speak. I lead workshops. I speak for hours. And I love it.
What once caused so much anxiety is now something I enjoy most.
That didn’t happen overnight.
But it did happen!
Not because I “lived outside my comfort zone” but because I expanded it.
What’s one area of your life that you want to grow—and what’s one small step you could take today to stretch toward it?
Are you done playing it safe at the cost of your happiness?
Whether it’s building confidence, speaking up more, or finally going after that dream you’ve been avoiding—you don’t have to do it alone.
Book a free 45-minute coaching call, and let’s explore what’s waiting for you just outside your comfort zone!
