Finding the motivation to leave your comfort zone isn’t easy. Here are three reasons why you might be hesitant to make the first move.
Fear and uncertainty
In your comfort zone, everything is predictable, which makes you feel safe. For example, you know what to expect when you work the same route every day.
When you think about leaving or expanding your comfort zone, you face uncertainty. And according to Psychology Today, uncertainty equals danger, which scares you.
So even when you know you are beyond your comfort zone, fear stops you from moving forward. For example, you may hesitate to pursue a different career path due to fear of failure.
Lust for comfort
Even if we want to grow, the pull of the comfort zone is strong. Because it’s safe and easy, it’s natural for people to want to stay there.
Yet staying there means never moving forward and growing. As Dr. Margie Worrell explained to Forbes, “Growth and comfort don’t ride the same horse.” He explains that we often forget the risks of not taking risks. In other words, you risk missing out on the life you have the potential to live.
A fixed mindset
When you have a fixed mindset, you convince yourself that you don’t have the necessary skills to do or accomplish something. This makes you less motivated to seek opportunities to grow and learn new skills.
Instead, you use your skills as an excuse to stay in the comfort zone, making statements like “I can’t do that” or “It’s not something I’m good at.”
This mindset keeps you stuck in the comfort zone as a way to avoid challenges and hardships.
Fixed habit
Successful behavioral change is difficult because our behavior is habitual. The more we repeat certain behaviors, the more we get stuck in certain patterns.
For example, if you’ve been following an irregular sleep schedule for years, waking up at 6 a.m. every morning will be difficult at first.
Lasting behavioral change begins with a strong desire to change.
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