Sunday Musings: Sometimes "Comfort Zones" Can Be a GOOD Thing!

in hive-185836 •  3 years ago 

Whether you're into personal growth type things, or not, you have undoubtedly come across people talking about "pushing the envelope" and that we need to "step outside our comfort zones" in order to grow.

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There's definitely a part of me that understands that principle... and I have definitely stepped outside my personal comfort zone many times.

I hate it!

I've often found myself getting into arguments with people over the whole "comfort zone" issue, and we have often parted ways in a state of disagreement.

When I tell people that I "hate stepping out of my comfort zone," they typically come back to me with something like "Yeah, I get that... but it was WORTH it, right?"

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That tends to be the point at which we part ways: In most cases, I end up confessing that "No, it was NOT worth it."

Evidently, that sets me aside from most members of the human race!

The reason I mostly choose to not step outside my comfort zone — and let's keep in mind that I have made it to 60 years of age and have some experience — is that I have found the hours/days/weeks of work, expense and attendant stress give up for a short burst of "fun" is typically a very poor trade, indeed.

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So often, I have found myself doing something "outside my comfort zone" at the behest of someone else... and my time time all is said and done... I find myself thinking "I gave up a day of good gardening for THIS???" or something along similar lines.

Am I just not very "adventurous?" Not sure about that... I think it's more a case of knowing myself really well, and particularly know what I am going to enjoy and NOT enjoy with a high level of accuracy. And frankly? Life is too short to waste time on pretending you're "having a fun time" doing things you're actually not enjoying, at all!

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I expect I would be more open to stepping outside my comfort zone if I had a higher rate of being "positively surprised" by new things I have undertaking. Sadly, doing so typically just reinforces what my intuition was telling me: "This is NOT what you want to be doing!"

That's my story, and I am sticking to it!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week ahead!

How about YOU? Do you tend to be adventurous? Do you willingly step outside your comfort zone, or are you cautious? Do leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 20211220 00:24 PST
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Finally, I met someone who is not ashamed to say that he does not like to go beyond the comfort zone. I also do not like to go beyond my own comfort zone. And when I am told that otherwise I will not develop, I say that this is bullshit. Why not develop in your own comfort zone?

I had to think about that for a moment... Of course I know the statement about the comfort zone. Nevertheless, it is somehow foreign to me.

Probably because I have never put myself IN a comfort zone?

Darüber mußte ich kurz nachdenken... Natürlich kenne ich die Aussage mit der Komfort-Zone. Sie ist mir trotzdem irgendwie fremd.

Vermutlich, weil ich mich nie IN eine Komfort-Zone begeben habe?

Our nature is to live in a comfort zone since otherwise we would walk with continuous stress, that from time to time we have to get out of the comfort zone is something else.