Are you tired of the advice to get out of your comfort zone? it’s worn out cliches like this that the mindless quote machines masquerading as motivational speakers repeat. There is some truth but it’s not that simple.
The other day, during the #PeopleSkills tweet chat, I sparked a reaction from one of my Twitter friends when I said “ Comfort leads to complacency which blocks opportunity.”
This friend then said, “Individuals who are always out of their comfort may never get anything done within their opportunities.” This statement shows what I call the either/or fallacy. It’s not one or the other, there is a sliding scale of comfort that can lead to complacency. While being comfortable is good for a while, too much leads to trouble.
That’s when I came up with this:
Starting at some level of success we all begin to find a routine and get comfortable. As long as we can be comfortable and stay above the minimal effort line, we are balanced between success and comfort. It’s when we become so comfortable that our effort drops below the minimum that complacency sets in.
To recover from complacency we have to struggle. It’s a deep trough to dig out of sometimes.
Instead I’ll keep challenging myself, make myself a little uncomfortable in order to push myself farther. This will shrink the wave so that I never reach the level of complacency and it fades away.
Because I didn’t let myself slide too far down the comfort line, my struggle isn’t as steep or difficult. So don’t fall into the trap that you’re either in your comfort zone or out of it. Push yourself a little everyday, stepping back and forth over the line between comfort and struggle to maintain momentum toward your goals.