What is a comfort zone? Experts say that it’s a psychological state where you feel most at ease. Where there’s low to neutral level of anxiety and stress; and you know you’re in control of the environment.
Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone
There are three psychological states for performance (based on Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning [Hanin, 1997, 2000]).
Imagine three circles, where the innermost circle is your comfort zone. Here, there’s no friction. You can expect the same performance levels every time. Strategies are familiar (despite them probably not working well anymore).
Just outside that sphere is the optimal performance zone. This is different for everyone. For instance: some athletes want to be pushed to their limit, while several simply want a new challenge. In this state, there is a reasonable amount (medium) of healthy stress so you perform at your peak.
After that comes the domain called the danger zone. Being in this state means you’re subjected to too much anxiety and stressors that your work and decision-making suffer. High-stress environments such as jobs in the finance, customer service, and healthcare can be a danger zone to some people because of high competition and results expected from individuals.
The key is being in between – in your optimal performance zone. This is outside your comfort zone so it helps you grow; at the same time, it doesn’t have too much stress so it’s harmful to you physically and mentally.
Comfort Zone Quotes
You don’t need to do something risky all the time. But you will need to introduce a bit of discomfort in your routine to move forward.
Remember: a comfort zone feels safe because it’s a trap. It can seem terrifying to move out of it; but should you do, you’ll discover new capabilities you never thought you even had.
May these comfort zone quotes inspire you to do something daring today.
“If you always do what is easy and choose the path of least resistance, you never step outside your comfort zone. Great things don’t come from comfort zones.” – Roy Bennett
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
“The only thing that is stopping you from where you are to where you want to go is your comfort zone.” – Dhaval Gaudier
“Whenever you feel uncomfortable, instead of retreating back into your old comfort zone, pat yourself on the back and say, ‘I must be growing,’ and continue moving forward.” – T. Harv Eker
“Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.” – Peter McWilliams
“Life is a concept, like the “universe”, that expands as soon as we reach what we think is its edge.” – Kamand Kojouri
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch
“We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.” – Max DePree
“Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!” – T. Harv Eker
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd
“It’s not what you do once in a while, it’s what you day in and day out that makes the difference.” – Jenny Craig
“Fight your fear, your laziness, your ignorance before you worry about fighting the competition.” – Amit Kalantri
“Outside your comfort zone is the only place worth living.” – Karina Bliss
“Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.” – Tom Fleming
“Fear can only be mastered outside of your comfort zone.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
“You need to get out of your comfort zone to make connections with new ideas. If you don’t have that grit and resilience to embrace a growth mindset, you might never get a taste of what it feels like to be successful.” – Ifeoluwa Egbetade
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?” – Lance Armstrong
“When we get too comfortable, we stop dreaming.” – Joyce Rachelle
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” – Charles Dickens
“Don’t keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone, and following one after the other like a flock of sheep. Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. ‘Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that you have never seen before. Of course it will be a little thing, but do not ignore it. Follow it up, explore all around it; one discovery will lead to another, and before you know it you will have something worth thinking about to occupy your mind. All really big discoveries are the results of thought.” – Alexander Graham Bell
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” – James C. Collins
“Comfort is the enemy of achievement.” – Farrah Gray
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Roy T. Bennett
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The shell must be broken before the bird can fly.” – Jennifer Worth
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown
“What would happen if you gave yourself permission to do something you’ve never done before? There’s only one way to find out.” – Gina Greenlee
“Leaving your comfort zone is hard. Staying broke is hard. Pick your hard.” – Grant Cardone
“Be fearful of mediocrity.” – Jonathan Ellery
