To experience new heights of joy, the only requirement is a willingness to challenge yourself to break out of your self-imposed limitations.

Getting outside of your comfort zone doesn’t always mean taking giant steps or doing something crazy. Expanding your comfort zone can mean small changes. For example, read a book you usually wouldn’t pick up, learn about something that challenges your viewpoint, or take a language course. Do things that are different than your ordinary daily routine.

Small Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

To begin experiencing the joy you deserve, stretch yourself!

Here are some ideas you can use to help yourself expand your comfort zone:

• Take a walk around part of your neighborhood that you don’t normally visit.

• Go to a different store to shop for your groceries, clothes, or other items.

• Talk with a neighbor or introduce yourself to people who are new to the neighborhood.

• Sign up for a college class or an online course in something.

• Take an art, acting, or dance class. You’ll meet new people and learn a new skill.

You can increase your comfort zone in many ways. If you want to create more joy, think about things you like to do or want to learn about. Expanding your comfort zone is about doing things you like. It’s about showing yourself that you can do more than you thought you could.

Moving on to Bigger Things

Once you’ve taken small steps outside your comfort zone, seek to stretch your boundaries further with greater challenges. If you’re shy, get to know your neighbors. To go further, throw a party or have a backyard barbecue. You’ll enjoy some time with others in your neighborhood while expanding your limits.

Take a drama class, then participate in a play or join an amateur competition to stretch yourself further. These challenges may seem daunting to you, but others in the class will be nervous also. And it’s okay to be a little nervous sometimes. It shows that you’re growing and developing as a person. It shows that you want to live life to the fullest.

Avoid Trying Too Much Too Fast

If you try to do too many things at once, you may become so nervous that you miss the joy that comes from stretching your inner boundaries. Instead, you may experience frustration and lack motivation to venture outside of your comfort zone again. Take small steps at first, and the success you experience will fuel your drive toward bigger challenges.

To be truly happy, you must be proactive in seeking the life you desire. If you challenge yourself with activities you enjoy, leaving your comfort zone can lead you to the life of passion and fulfillment that you deserve!

photo credit: Ashutosh Khandha

Taking action towards your dreams and goals is clearly vital, but it’s not always easy to stay consistent and build momentum. However, taking action is one of those important pieces to the puzzle along with proper planning and the drive to succeed. Those that take action are the ones that see results.

How do you motivate yourself to continue working toward your goals, especially when you face challenges? Although some strategies will motivate you more than others, it’s good to experiment with several different ways of finding your motivation. Then, when the chips are down, you can depend on one of these strategies to get back on track.

Try these techniques to motivate yourself to take action:

1. Break your goals into smaller, attainable steps. Especially if you’re working toward a bigger goal, break it up into a series of small steps that you know you can achieve. After each step, celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done. With small steps, you’ll be more likely to stay on task because your rewards come often.
2. Know your limits. You know yourself best and only you can identify your personal limits. If you move too slowly, you’ll know deep down that you could be taking more action. However, when you try to do too much, you risk burnout. Figure out that magic point where you can achieve success without much stress, and you’ll remain motivated to keep taking action.
3. Take away your distractions. There are some things that might be more likely to distract you than others. Remove yourself from these situations when you know that you need to be taking action.
   • For example, if you’re a social person, perhaps you’ll need to stay away from friends and family during the times you want to work. Also, avoid surfing the net, video games, and television when it’s time to work.
4. Ask for the help you need. Don’t be afraid to get help from others. There’s only so much you can accomplish in one day all by yourself. It’s true that sometimes you’ll have to accomplish certain things on your own, but if there’s any way at all that someone else can help, consider that possibility and ask them.
5. Find an activity that energizes you. Sometimes you’ll find that there’s a period in the day where you go into a slump. Maybe you have trouble starting your engines in the morning, or perhaps it’s the afternoon that causes you to feel sluggish.
   • In these times, find some activity to re-motivate and energize you. One thing that can energize you is a good exercise routine. It’ll get your heart rate up and send fresh oxygen to your brain. This will refresh you, help you think more clearly, and make you feel more like doing your work.
6. Keep a tight schedule. A good schedule and organized plan will help keep you motivated and on track. In the beginning phases of planning your goals, be very specific when deciding what you need to do and when. This way, when you complete a step, you won’t have to spend time figuring out what you’re supposed to do next.

If you want to succeed, you can do it through purposeful action. Just think about what you’ve done to accomplish goals in the past. Chances are you had a plan and followed through. It might not always be easy, but when you remain motivated, you’ll reach whatever goal you set out to accomplish!