Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You

I saw a pin on Pinterest the other day that read, “Your comfort zone will kill you.”

It stopped me dead in my tracks. Ok, maybe it just stopped my endless scrolling.  It sure did get my attention!

I realized I agreed with it.  Looking back a couple of years ago in my life, I can see how my comfort zone was killing me. Both literally and figuratively.

The word comfort has two meanings: 

1. a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
2. to ease or lessen another’s sadness, sorrow or pain

One is a noun the other is a verb. Lets talk about the noun, the state of comfort.

Isn’t it nice to be in a state of comfort?  When I think about comfort, I think about a big comfy bed, with freshly laundered sheets, fluffy pillows and piles of warm blankets.  (Can you tell that my mind is already preparing me for winter and my desperate desire to try to be warm!)  I also imagine a big cup of piping hot coffee with a good book.  Mmmm… that is comfort.

Now you take a minute.  Think about comfort.  What do you envision?

Are you imagining it?  Good.  Now picture me bringing you two cheeseburgers, a large Coke and some fries.  Along with that I’ll add in five pairs of shoes, a wreath, a smart watch, trampoline for the kids and a new weed wacker. All of that was bought online.  We’ll top it off with about 5 glasses of wine, a “sexy” movie playing on a huge TV in front of you and a personal assistant reading you all the latest Facebook posts.

How is your state of comfort now?

Seems kind of chaotic, doesn’t it?

But these things are exactly what we run to when we want to find comfort.

We want to avoid the slightest ping of hunger.  We don’t want to deal with our bosses/spouse/mother/child being upset.  We don’t want to face our restlessness or boredom. 

We want to feel comfort and happiness IMMEDIATELY! 

What we don’t realize until later is we sacrificed long-term comfort for a short-term dopamine hit that actually makes us more uncomfortable in the long run. 

And then the cycle repeats.

Now, none of these will kill you… immediately.  But we really need to look at the long-term, net, positive and negative consequences.

So, lets imagine what it would be like to give up the short-term comfort zone for long-term comfort.

• What if you had a long, stressful day at work with no break but decided that you would deal with the hunger pains for 20 minutes longer until you got home so you could eat the cut-up veggies you have in the fridge? 
• What if you were stewing about the fight with your spouse and decided that you didn’t need another pair of boots and would instead read the bible for some clarity on the situation? 
• What if you waited patiently between math problems with your kids instead of grabbing your phone to scroll Facebook and your kiddo then asking you more questions and not feeling heard?

Can you see the long-term net consequences such as:

• health, energy
• reduced disease risk
• money saved
• wealth with out stuff
• increased faith in God
• a strong marriage
• vibrant relationships with your children
• long-term connectedness (is this even a word?) with those you love

Sign me up!

Here’s the funny thing, you have to give up IMMEDIATE comfort for ENDURING comfort.

That comes down to a choice.  It’s a choice you must make in a split second.

So how do you accomplish this?  Do you feel it’s too automatic?  Like you might not even be able to control it?

You can!  Here are a couple of ways how…

1. Lean into the uncomfortable. If it’s uncomfortable now, it probably means it will bring you comfort later.
2. Prepare for it. You know that you will have rough days at work and will want to go through the drive thru.  Make a plan ahead of time.  When the moment comes, you won’t feel like it’s your only option.
3. I like to keep the thought… “I want better.” This reminds me that I don’t want the overly processed cookie.  What I really want is a break.  On top of that, what I most desire is feeling energized and healthy.  So, I put a sign in front of the pantry that reads, “I want better.”
4. Lastly, ditch the temptations. You hear it all the time.  Throw away the ice cream and don’t buy it again (your family will be just fine with out it), unsubscribe to all the sale update emails and turn off your phone for certain hours of the day.  Simple, uncomfortable steps that can really make a big impact.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-4

So, let yourself face the uncomfortable trials head on and develop that perseverance to keep moving forward.

Are you too comfortable but uncomfortable right now?  Do you struggle with committing to your goals and following through?  Perfect!  You're not alone and that's my expertise.  Sign up for a FREE consult with me here.