How To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone + 47 Examples

What’s holding you back from getting out of your comfort zone? It could be overwhelm, fear, uncertainty or feeling uncomfortable about the unknown.

When you step outside of your comfort zone is you can go from feeling like you’re just existing to truly living – living a life that you choose.

So today I’m sharing 3 areas I focus on to get out of my comfort zone, even when it feels hard.

Doing this will take you from feeling overwhelmed, uncertain and scared to moving forward and taking action on something deeply important to you.

What is your comfort zone?

Being in your comfort zone is essentially about feeling safe and comfortable. Being in this zone creates a feeling of certainty in your life as well as control. 

As Tony Robins mentions…

“When we leave the comfort zone, we’re no longer in a familiar and controllable situation. The brain hasn’t created the pathways it needs in order to know how to react – and we may feel anxiety and fear. Yet learning to leave your comfort zone is essential.”

The Benefits of Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

• Be more in control of your life
• Feel accomplished and super proud of yourself
• You’ll try new things and have new experiences
• Have a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset
• Experience the power of moving forward

3 Powerful Ways To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Watch the video below or keep scrolling for more details…

1. Look for the Evidence

When you look for evidence in your life that you have already gotten outside of your comfort zone, this builds proof and confidence that you have already done hard things and you can do it again.

I want to share a quick story…

Earlier this year I turned 50 and with any big milestone I’ve thought about what I’d like to be different in my life. 

So, I decided that this year my goal was to get out of my comfort zone… do things that feel challenging and uncomfortable. 

Why? To make me feel alive, to grow, reach my goals and honestly, to feel proud of myself.

I started the year off strong by getting out of my comfort zone, but lately I’ve been feeling a little stangent.

However, once I started thinking about it, I actually realized I’ve already been getting out of my comfort zone for years, I just somehow forgot this?

I realized that I have a ton of evidence to look back on where I went beyond my comfort zone… from having hard conversations, to starting a job I knew nothing about, to learning completely new skills so I didn’t have to go back to a 9 to 5 job. 

Regardless of where I look in life – everything I have accomplished (big and small) was because I allowed myself to get uncomfortable.

Your take away:

Look for evidence of getting outside your comfort zone. 

These are often directly linked to your accomplishments in life – those things you’re proud of.

To get started, think about different areas of your life…

• Career
• Relationships
• Health & wellness
• Financial
• Adventure
• Personal development

You can also ask someone close to you for examples of your accomplishments. Our loved ones often see things in us, we don’t notice ourselves.

2. Start Small

When you start with smaller steps to get out of your comfort zone, you build even more evidence that you can do uncomfortable things. 

And adding up these small things actually leads to doing something substantially larger. 

I bet you can even look back on your biggest wins and I can guarantee you took small steps along the way to make the big thing happen.

As an example…

Let’s say you have a goal to become a Zumba instructor, but at the moment the only fitness and dancing you do is in the kitchen while making dinner. 

Jumping straight into teaching Zumba class might seem crazy, and pretty unrealistic, and a little painful (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve tried Zumba!!) – but what if instead…

• You went to a weekly Zumba class at your gym? 
• Followed by 3 times a week.
• Once you feel in great shape and mastering the moves, take training to become a licensed Zumba instructor. 

This gradual progression by taking small steps makes the uncomfortable, scary thing feel much more doable (and realistic).

Your action step: 

Think about one important goal you’ve been wanting to accomplish… 

• Write down the small steps you can take to make your goal seem very doable.

Remember: Take on new challenges with baby steps – it doesn’t have to happen overnight. Small steps and mini goals are the way to move forward with ease.

3. Define Your Why

Understanding truly WHY you want to take action and reach a specific goal will help you move past uncertainly and discomfort when things feel extra difficult.

There’s a popular quote out… 

“When you know your why, you’ll know your way.” – Michael Hyatt

This is a perfect reminder that remembering your why, which is knowing the purpose of why something is important to you, helps you keep moving forward when your goal feels extra challenging. 

Your why connects you to the bigger reason in your life that this matters so much.

Answer this…

WHY is doing (this thing) important to you?

Now, keep asking WHY every time you answer your question.

Example

This example is WHY I want to start a YouTube channel. (I’ve added my very first YouTube video above, which you can also check out here.)

So I ask myself… Why does starting a YouTube channel matter?

I want to expand my website content. But, why?

So I can connect with more people. Why?

To build community and help others with my content. Why?

So I can continue financially supporting myself & keep doing what I love. << this is my WHY.

– Essentially, you keep asking why until to find your true answer that supports your purpose.

47 Examples of Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

1. Travel somewhere you’ve never been 

This can be as big as taking that trip to Thailand or smaller like visiting a nearby city and being a tourist for the day.

2. Try new cuisines or dishes

Make a new dish at home or go to a new restaurant and order items you’ve never tried.

3. Start a conversation with a stranger

This can be as simple as asking your barista how their day is going or saying hello to someone as they walk by.

Many times this won’t turn into a conversation, but many times it will. This connection you can create with new people can feel extremely refreshing.

4. Start A New Hobby

There are so many things we can do in our spare time, so why not try a new hobby? Think about something you’d love to try but never dedicate time to.

5. Create Some Downtime

If you read the above ‘start a hobby’ idea and thought – yeah right – who has spare time? Now is the time to make this a priority. Just start small…

• Go for a 10-minute walk at lunchtime
• Wake up 30 minutes or an hour earlier and dedicate this time to yourself only
• Look at your screen time on your phone and aim to reduce this in half so you can do something else like reading a book and doing that new hobby!

6. Try Public Speaking

Are you scared of public speaking? Yep – me too and yet I’ve managed to get in front of many boardrooms full of people over the years and speak for long periods of time. 

I’ve realized that the biggest fear is the anticipation of not knowing. 

• Who will be there
• Will they be interested? 
• Will they be rude? 
• What will they really want to be doing instead?
• What can I do to make them interested?

My biggest tip is to know your audience. Find out as much as possible beforehand. Then the next most important thing is to know your material inside and out.

I personally have no desire to speak in front of hundreds of people (my introvert qualities do not support this!), but if you do the formula is the same – know your audience – know your material.

7. Look for A New Friendship

Ideally, someone who has the same aspirations and values as you. Being around like-minded people can make you feel more understood and it can be a lot of fun too.

8. Ask for a Promotion At Work

Have you been working hard and over-exceeding for a while? The next step is to sit down with your boss and ask about how to move towards getting a promotion.

• Talk about your strengths and achievements and let them know that career growth is a priority for you.
• Make sure to ask about a plan to make this happen – i.e. concrete things you can be doing to move to the next level.

10. Learn To Let Go

Learning to let go can be a tough one – but in many cases, we know that we need to let go in order to move on with our lives.

Try these 7 steps to let things go so you can focus on the positive things in life.

11. Make a Bucket List

And start ticking the items off the list! You can create a bucket list for certain times of the year, like Spring or Christmas or create a big life bucket list.

12. Go To A Networking Event

Yes – even if you’re an introvert. My tip is to think about who you want to connect with (and why) before the event and prepare some questions.

This way you can be prepared to have conversations that can support your professional growth.

13. Do something you loved as a kid

For me, this is horseback riding. I LOVED riding as a kid, but somehow in my adult life, this passion no longer exists. I think about it all the time and would love to start again – yet life seems to take over.

What did you love doing? And do you think you can allocate some time to this again?

15. Start a YouTube Channel

In the blogging community, I know of so many bloggers who have successful blogs but don’t feel comfortable taking things to the next level with a YouTube channel.

If this is you and you seriously want to do this, why not try? What’s the worst that could happen?

16. Sign Up For A New Fitness Class

HIIT, dance, spinning, yoga – whatever you’d love to do but haven’t yet.

17. Go to a restaurant on your own

This is something that I still find scary, and I’m in my 40’s! I do find though that it’s easier to do this at lunchtime since it’s more casual – so try this first before you graduate to dinner.

18. Take a 30 Day Plant Based Challenge

I did and it’s turned into 2+ years of being vegan 🙂

19. Change up your Evening Routine

If you find yourself in a nighttime rut, think about something entirely different than what you’d typically do.

Some examples:

• Go from watching tv to going for a long walk in your neighbourhood
• Instead of scrolling on social media, take a workout class (online or in person)
• Go from eating that late-night bowl of cereal to a piece of fruit
• Instead of Netflix, pick up that book you’ve been wanting to read (or listen to the audiobook version)

20. Get to know someone with different political or religious views than you

This can give you a new perspective on others and you might even discover other similarities that can connect you.

21. Keep track of your failures (& What You Learned)

Do this so you can take note of what you learned and how you’d do things differently next time around.

22. End Your Relationship (If it’s a bad one)

So many couples stay in a relationship because it just feels easy, however, this is where you really need to trust your gut and follow your heart.

If you know deep down that this is not the one, then end things before it becomes more complicated.

23. Apply For A Job In A Different Industry

I can guarantee you have transferable skills that will make you an asset.

24. Start A Blog

Not only is this a fun and creative way to spend some time – you can also make money doing this! Check out my FREE How To Start A Blog course, over on my other website.

25. Run a 10K, Half Marathon or Full Marathon

Had your heart set on a running milestone? If yes, look for a local 10K or marathon and sign up. Once you’ve signed up you’re halfway there.

26. Move To A New City

If you don’t have any ties this is much easier to do, but even if you have a family or a mortgage, if this is something you’ve always wanted to do, see if you still can. Remember – we only have one life to live – so let’s live it!

27. Set Personal Goals

Think about the life you’d like to live and set some personal goals to move forward.

You can set goals for anything that is important to you – family, health, finances, spiritual growth, relationships and so much more.

28. Go To A Therapist

Looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health.

Therapy is a supportive way that you can open up to someone whose priority is your mental wellness. 

29. Do Things At 80% (Especially If You’re a Perfectionist)

If you’re a perfectionist this will be really hard. The reason it’s important to do things at 80% is there’s a good chance that others won’t even notice that other 20%.

You see, when you aim for 100% you’re less likely to ever finish – as nothing is ever perfect.

Aiming for 100% all the time is actually holding you back from doing things and taking chances. 

30. Call An Old Friend

If there’s someone you haven’t spoken to in ages and you feel the guilt coming in – just rip the bandaid and call them. Once you get chatting you’ll be happy you did.

31. Wear A Completely New Style

You can even get a makeover or work with a style consultant to get out of your clothing comfort zone.

32. Do a Weekend Digital Detox

I’m talking about no TV, smartphones (other than talking to someone), no social media or video games.

When all of this goes away you may wonder what on earth to do with yourself, but you can use this time for so many other things that are important to you.

33. Learn A New Language

You can sign up for a program like Rosetta Stone or use an app like Babbel.

This is a good one to do with a partner so you can practice together – BUT if you can’t find a partner still signup and practice with others in the class or in an online group.

34. Compliment Someone

Give a compliment to someone whenever you can. If you see something you like, don’t be shy – just tell the person. You’ll probably make their day and you’ll feel great doing it.

35. Stand Up For What You Believe In

If you experience something or see something that is not right, take the next step and explain your view. This can feel uncomfortable but it’s really important to have a voice about things you matter deeply about.

36. Do Something That Scares You

Learn to dance, ask that guy out on a date, talk to someone you have a crush on, go bungee jumping. Whatever scares you – do it! You’ll realize that it’s probably not as hard as you thought it would be.

37. Practice Saying No

If you’re a yes person you’ll know that when you say yes all the time, you end up regretting it. So, think about examples of things you’d really like to say no to and start practicing.

People will be taken aback at first as they’ll always expect a yes from you, but know that you can’t say yes to everything – you need to pick and choose based on what supports your needs and values most.

38. Ask for Help

Feel like you’re drowning in waaay too many tasks around the house – or tasks in like. Stop right now and ask for help. This responsibility is not all on you. 

39. Tell Someone You Love Them

For many this is hard to do as it hasn’t become a habit. However, sharing with someone how much you love them and how important they are in your life is a beautiful thing.

Give it a try – fear might get in the way, but in the end, showing your true self to someone will always make you feel better.

40. Declutter One Room At A Time

Decluttering can feel super overwhelming to some, so I recommend focusing on one room at a time. This way the job is smaller and you’ll feel more accomplished faster.

This will also give you an incentive to move on to the next room.

41. Ask For Feedback

If you’re scared of criticism this can be scary. However, even if you receive negative feedback, you can learn from this and improve your skills or approach.

This is great to do in your job, relationship, and as a business owner.

42. Use Self-Reflection Questions

Asking yourself questions about your life can be a great starting ground for creating a life you truly love.

👉 Try these 60 self-reflection questions to reflect on your career, relationship, personal growth, well-being and so much more.

43. Set Personal Boundaries

Think about what your personal boundaries are and how you can support them. Personal boundaries can be with your family, spouse, friends, coworkers, or bosses.

👉 Check out this post to learn about the types of personal boundaries and how to set them.

44. Take a New Route On Your Daily Walk

Turn left instead of right next time you’re out for a walk or jog. You may discover something new in your own neighbourhood.

45. Take An Online Course

You can sign up for a local college or university – or try an online course platform like Skillshare.

Skillshare offers loads of different courses such as:

• Marketing
• Graphic Design
• Music
• Creative writing
• Entrepreneurship
• Photography

… and so much more!

Sign up with this link to get 1 month of Skillshare for free!

46. Work In A New Environment

If you primarily work in the office, see if you can get permission to work from home once or twice a week. If you work from home, go to a cafe or a co-working space once a week.

Working in a new environment can spark creativity and even help you be more productive.

47. Surround Yourself With Successful People

As the old saying goes, ”you are the company you keep”.

So if you spend time with people who have big goals and a wide range of life experiences, you too will find it easier to get out of your comfort zone and go after your dreams.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

– Neale Donald Walsch

More Tips To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

1. Start With This Writing Exercise:

Before we get into the list of things you can try to get out of your comfort zone, first I’d love you to make a list of everything you’d love to do in life but haven’t because you don’t feel comfortable. 

This truly helps you identify what is out of your comfort zone even though you’d love to make it happen

Write down literally everything – big and small.

Then think about your personal fear of failure. Are you worried you won’t succeed? Concerned what others might think of you? Fear of uncertainty?

2. Create a pros and cons list

Look at staying where you are today vs. trying something different. Write a list of pros and cons for each scenario.

3. Track your progress

Remember that step forward is a win – so record your progress in a journal and celebrate your forward movement.

A few things I’ve done to get out of my comfort zone:

• Moved to Europe in my twenties and lived there for 5 years
• Travelled the world for a year
• Started my own business instead of going back to the corporate world
• I shared my infertility story online
• I went vegan
• I learned how to become a web developer and offer it as part of my marketing consulting business
• Dated a man with kids and I’m now a happily married woman and stepmom 🙂
• I’m soon starting training to learn some new skills for a new career!

Final thoughts

I hope this inspired you to get out of your comfort zone.

As Nelson Mandela said…

“There is no passion to be found in playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

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