IS IT A REALLY BAD THING TO BE IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

A couple of weeks ago I went on BBC Radio Leicester to promote my ‘Just Like Me’ books and to also talk about the lack of diversity in children’s literature and why it’s important that children of all ethnicities, special needs and abilities find themselves in the pages of a book. 

Now, I am not going to lie and say I walked in there super confident, because I didn’t. I’m also not going to say that I didn’t have a few sleepless nights prior to this, as the dark circles and bags under my eyes would depict differently. But on reflection, although I was incredibly nervous, I was most definitely in my comfort zone. And despite what a lot of the self-help guru’s out there say, I honestly don’t think being in your comfort zone is such bad idea. But before you gasp allow me to explain why.

I’m sure you’ve all seen and read quotes about how “growth starts where your comfort zone ends” or “If you are still in your comfort zone then you are still warming up” (CRINGE!, I’ve personally used this one in the past). I think the most popular one is that drawing of the little circle (your comfort zone) and the big circle (Where The MAGIC Happens).

I’m going to go against the grain here, but I personally love my comfort zone because to me that is where the real magic happens. My comfort zone consists of the things I’m passionate about, writing, family, fitness, food – all the things I love. And yes, to a certain degree you could say these things are my safety net. I can’t sing, so going to audition for the X-Factor would be out of my comfort zone and I would probably fail because of the obvious (I can’t hold a tune) and I am not passionate about becoming a singer. Therefore, I totally disagree with that drawing because that big circle allures you to believe that success is only achieved by leaving your “little” safety net.

Personally, I am more likely to take risks and explore opportunities when I am coming from a place of familiarity. I believe we should all push ourselves, move forward, grow as individuals and try new experiences – but we can do so by dipping our toes in the water. It doesn’t have to be this huge, phenomenal leap.

I think there is a difference between staying in your comfort zone and staying stagnant. If you are in your comfort zone and still moving forward and learning, then your zone expands, and you will reap the benefits of that expansion. But if there is no passion, no drive and you are stuck in a rut then of course you won’t see the results you are longing for. The root of stagnation is the Latin word for “standing water”. You don’t want to stand still; you want to cause a ripple but not necessarily a Tsunami.

So, being at the radio station, live on air stretched me but I was still in my comfort zone. Why? Because although the environment was alien to me, I was talking about something which I had experience in, I believe in and something I’m super passionate about. I was telling my story.

Bottom line is we all need comfort. It’s one of our basic needs as human beings. But we also need growth and therefore it is important to not stay there for too long. It’s important to keep moving forward every day, keep dipping your toe in the water, keep growing and learning from new experiences. That is where the real magic happens.