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News | April 18, 2019

Jump out of that airplane!

By Dawn Sutton DLA Land and Maritime Level II Mentoring

It’s my personal belief that everyone needs to “jump out of that airplane,” also known as stepping out of your comfort zone, at some point in their life.

The comfort zone is a self-imposed boundary.

I’ve found that finding out one’s comfort zone is quick and easy.

Draw a circle on a piece of paper. Inside that circle, list everything in your life right now: job, current state of health, personal fitness, parenting style, friendships, financial state, etc. This is your comfort zone.

On the outside of the circle, list where you want to be. To obtain these goals, you’re going to have to do something new or different. You’re going to have to step outside of your comfort zone.

Why would someone want to step out of that warm, cozy place?

“Once we stop reaching, stretching, seeking and risking ... we actually stop growing,” said Bob Proctor, a leading expert on the mind, human potential and success. 

Staying in the comfort zone holds a person back from real growth, real accomplishment and more importantly, their goals. 

Before anything great can be achieved, one’s comfort zone must be disturbed.

  1. Commit to trying something new - give the situation your best effort.
  2. Do small activities to challenge oneself - negotiate a cup of coffee free, smile at a stranger.
  3. Use the discomfort to learn - how can I use this in the future?
  4. Coach yourself – what’s the best or worst that can happen?
  5. Be confident – picture yourself succeeding.
  6. Become friends with discomfort – each day pick something that scares you and do it.
  7. Visualize success – what does it look like to you?

Stop letting fears and anxiety hold you back, do more in life, do not be afraid of tomorrow – be a risk taker and jump out of that plane!