Exit Your Comfort Zone

Exiting your comfort zone is one of the scariest things to do.  It is our comfort zone for a reason.  It is safe, easy and known.  The fear of the unknown is really what holds us back from leaving our comfort zone.


For me, it was not the unknown that I feared.  I feared/fear what others would think.  It took me a long time to stop worrying about what others thought.  I had a conversation with one of my coworkers about an issue I was having with my old boss.  I asked her how she handled it and she explained to me that I could not worry about what others did or thought.  It is up to them how they think, it is up to me how I react to what they say and do.  If I let them drive me then I would always feel stressed and inferior.  This was a pivotal moment for me.  I finally realized that they had not traveled my path to where I was and their approval wasn't necessary for me to get where I was going.


The hardest thing for me to do now and then is to exercise in front of other people.  I know it sounds stupid, I mean I was in the Army and every day for years I had to do PT in front of thousands of my "closest" friends.  But I found myself unable to even exercise in front of my daughters.


I have slowly overcome this one day at a time.  I started by swimming laps in my pool, very difficult since I hadn't even worn a bathing suit in five years when I started swimming again.  Then I went to an adult tap class at my daughter's dance studio, again very difficult since I haven't danced in over 15 years and I never took lessons.  I had a real break through a few weeks ago.  I actually took my mini stepper out on the balcony and spent my hour exercising in the great outdoors.  Okay!  I made the girls keep me company and I read a book on my iPad, but I did it! 


I consider every time I take it outside to exercise a major win.  Even now, after exercising on my balcony many times, I'm still a little daunted by the thought of exercising in a gym.  One good thing is that I don't ever really have to take that step, but I probably will eventually.


Every day I try to do one thing out of my comfort zone. 


how about you?  What is the hardest thing for you to overcome?