Grow out of your comfort zone

The human body breaks down and rebuilds muscles every 15 - 30 days. The only way for the muscle to grow is if it is put under a lot of pressure, torn apart and given time to recover. As we go through our paces this week we need to remember that some times we need to break down so that we can rebuild something bigger and stronger. I have talked about the power of habit and how having poor habits causes "drifting" (https://tgimondayzim.blogspot.com/2020/05/definiteness-of-purpose.html) so to balance out the playing field, maybe one would want to know the type of habits you can adopt to grow out of your comfort zone or drifting period.

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. The only way for anything to grow is to put it under immense amount of pressure and turn your coal into a diamond. The trick now is to know the type of pressure that will help you grow and get rid of or ignore the pressure that won't.

 The types of pressures you can and should avoid are :

• Pressure from people's opinions
  Everyone always has something to say. The moment you get so fixated on what people say either about you or about something you believe in then not only are you betraying yourself but you are also adding unnecessary pressure into your life. Just remember when you do something either good or bad people are always going to talk.
• Pressure from failures
  Our own failures often tends to put us in a desperate mode where we are just stuck and do not know what to do. Take failures as lessons on what you were doing wrong and need to improve. "I never fail. I either win or learn" ~ Nelson Mandela
• Pressure from peer success
  This one is the biggest of them all. We have all been in a moment where we are looking at the people around us and realizing how much progress they are making in their lives then looking at our own and it seems that nothing is happening. I feel like people should compete with themselves to become the best version of themselves and not a photocopy of others. 

Now comes the good pressure or so to say which will hurt in the short term but work out wonders for you in the long run. The human mind is programmed for survival and its job is to ensure that your body is safe and under no stress hence it is the biggest enemy and ally when you want to grow out of the comfort zone. It’s really easy to fall into the trap of never pushing your comfort zone. The problem with this is it often prevents you from true success and happiness in life. That’s because one of the best ways to grow is to test the limits of what most people consider “normal” to live the life you want.

• Gain knowledge
  People often fear moving out of their comfort zones because of a fear of the unknown. The best way in my view would be to get as much knowledge on whatever issue you are facing and using it to work your way out. Look for people who have done it and ask them how they did it. The more research you do the less anxious you feel about it and the more likely you are to do something about it.
• Have a plan
  This week has been incredible for me and one of the reasons why it was incredible is the amount of feedback I received on the the Action plan I shared last week. For more information visit (https://tgimondayzim.blogspot.com/2020/07/it-starts-now.html) and get your own copy of the Action plan by sending "Action Plan" to seanmakonde5@gmail.com or sending a whatsapp message to +263 775 327  294 with the words "Action Plan".
• Hold yourself accountable
  If you are looking for that one person to change your life, take a good look in the mirror. We are ultimately responsible for our own lives. We might not have any control of the outside environment but we have autonomous control over what goes on inside us. Goal setting helps in achieving this.

• Remain Positive
  The power of positivity is one of the greatest forces in the world. On a more individual level, positivity always brings things into context and ensures that your perspective on things keeps you in control and it removes giving up from your options.
• Continue expanding your comfort zone
  Do not settle after you have finally started moving because settling only makes the current level you are at your comfort zone. The key to avoid "drifting" is to always always continue improving yourself, improving your skills and just honing your craft in everything you do.

 After all has been said the opportunity is now there to get it done. Continue improving and do not settle for less. In kindergarten we used to say "Good better best, never let it rest. Till the good is better and the better best". Have a blessed week and Thank God its Monday