Everyone reaches a point in their life where they feel like they are stuck. Stuck with a certain job, stuck in a relationship, stuck being single, stuck thinking negatively…stuck in your ways. You don’t have to be stuck though. There are five ways for you to take initiative, get out there and experience something different from your norm. The steps I am about to mention are the steps I am taking myself.
Step 1 – Be Yourself
Although you will be stepping out of your comfort zone, it is important to remember who you are. You are allowed to change according to the things you like and dislike, but don’t conform to societal ways. Just because others are doing something doesn’t mean you have to do it too.
Step 2 (for the extrovert) – Write it Down
Having a plan of what you want to do will make it a lot easier. Sometimes I want to get out of my comfort zone SOO bad, that I jump the gun. In the end I ran too fast and fall straight on my toosh. How can you avoid that? Write down 5-10 ways you want to get our of your comfort zone. Then put a mark through the ones that are too unrealistic. After doing that you should be left with 3-5.
Step 2 (for the introvert) – Research and Write it Down
Most shy people don’t know how to get out of their comfort zone, let alone, what to do. Research some things that others have done. Write down 5-10 of the most interesting ones. After that, cross out the ones you could never see yourself doing or even liking.
Step 3 – Ignore the Negativity
So many people will shoot you down. They will tell you, “you aren’t good enough,” “you can’t do that”. Don’t listen to them. Check out my blog on how to stay positive. You will need that more than you can imagine. You have to block out people who don’t have your best intentions. Those people are too scared to break out of their comfort zone. I bet if you asked them, “what have you done in your life?” they would reply with very insignificant things. If someone drags you down, I’d give them a chance to join you on the ride up but after that, if they don’t join the positive train, leave them behind. It may be difficult… no… I know it is difficult but it is something we all need to learn to do. Some people are not going to budge and we can’t allow them to bring us down with them. The people who want you to succeed in life and feel better about yourself, will support you in whatever you want. They have faith in you, so just have faith in yourself.
Step 4 – Get Motivated
So many people struggle with this part, including myself. Sometimes I seriously lack all the motivation in the world. I’ll be glued to the couch watching Netflix and never want to get up. I will even get bored of Netflix and STILL not want to get up. It’s the worse habit to get in. So don’t get in the habit of it. Ways for you to get motivated can be as simple as eating a good breakfast and waking up at a decent hour. Open up the windows and breath in all the fresh air. Take a walk outside and see all the natural beauty the world has to offer. Eat healthy. Literally as long as you don’t sit in a dark room and close yourself off to the world, you will get motivated. It sounds so much easier than what it is. Especially for those who suffer from depression. I promise you though, If you just get out of your house, apartment or such you will feel much better and motivated.
Step 5 – Go Do It!
Once you’ve done all of these steps, call a friend who is outgoing to talk you into doing it if you are still nervous. Then convince them to do it with you! You’ll have a great time and some funny stories to tell later on. If you don’t have an outgoing friend, read a motivating blog or YouTube video. Something that is going to empower you. Grab a friend or go alone, whichever you prefer and DO IT. Do what ever it is that you have been so afraid to do. Experience it and really embrace it. Even if in the end you decide it’s not something you want to continue doing, at least you can say, “I tried”.
Breaking out of your shell can feel like like the most difficult thing ever. It feels like you are stuck under layers and layers of thick muck and you’re struggling to get out. There are simple steps of how you can get out of it though. You just have to give it your all and stop thinking about what others say. Be you and like Nike says, “Just Do It”.