I admit it - I love comfort! I like the heated seat on my motorcycle, the heated seats in my car, the comfort of leather seats in my wife’s SUV and the list could go on. As I get older and have the financial means, there is more opportunity to stay in nicer hotels, drive nicer vehicles, buy nicer clothes and in many ways “enjoy life & take it easy”. Unfortunately, when we move into the comfort zone, we move out of the growth zone. 

Let me explain. When we were younger everything was new. We had to struggle to walk, feed ourselves, learn to communicate, ride a bike, etc. Everything we attempted was a challenge, took hard work and perseverance. As we got older the things that once were difficult became easy and, in many ways, second nature. So how do we continue to grow? To continue to grow, we must put ourselves in uncomfortable situations where there is a high probability that we will fail. When we fail, we learn, we adjust, we get stronger (physically, emotionally and mentally) and we grow. In the groundbreaking book “Mindset” by Dr Carol Dweck, she discussed the two prevailing mindsets that people demonstrate: fixed and growth. The fixed mindset says that I believe my intelligence & ability is fixed and static. A growth mindset say that I believe intelligence and ability can be improved through effort and learning. Here are some steps to enter the growth zone:

1. Embrace lifelong learning
2. Believe intelligence can be improved
3. Put in more effort to learn
4. Believe effort leads to mastery
5. Believe failures are just temporary setbacks
6. View feedback as a source of information
7. Be willing to embrace challenges
8. View others’ success as a source of inspiration

Remember that when the discomfort comes, and the emotions rise, we need to acknowledge what we are feeling and continue to move forward. Enjoy the journey…

1. Identify your Fears. The comfort zone is formed around what we perceive to be safe. 
2. Accept Failure. The fear zone is the step in between the comfort and the learning zone.
3. Get a clear picture of what you want to achieve, it’s important to set clear goals for yourself.
4. Stay Consistent. The final part is the most challenging – staying consistent.