In life, we all strive for comfort and security, we seek out routines and patterns that make us feel safe and in control. Unfortunately, growth and comfort cannot coexist and true learning and change only happens when we step out of our comfort zones.

Our comfort zone may feel safe, secure, and familiar but we don’t learn anything new when we’re in our comfort zone. Outside of our comfort zone is where we experience fear, but it’s also where we learn and grow.

Dealing with challenges and stepping outside of our comfort zone leads to acquiring new skills, which in turn leads to increased self-confidence and new sources of satisfaction. We have to face discomfort in order to grow. It’s like exercise, the more we push ourselves, the stronger we become.

Comfort should be the trigger that leads to reevaluating a situation, if we’re comfortable it probably means we’re not growing. We therefore need to train ourselves to be wary of getting too comfortable and to embrace the feelings of strangeness and fear that come from doing something new, because they are the signs of learning and growth.

If you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done. That means stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking risks. It means being willing to fail and to learn from our mistakes; we should embrace discomfort and use it as a tool for growth. If you’re feeling comfortable and safe, it might be time to step outside of your comfort zone because that’s where real growth happens.