Your Comfort Zone: A Dangerous Place To Be

Do you catch yourself doing the same "type" of routine whether it's your daily work routine or your fitness routine? Do you stop by the same coffee shop so often that the person behind the counter says, "Good morning! Are you drinking your usual today?"
How about your workouts? Do you know exactly how long of a run you will go on and what path you will take each time? This comfort zone not only gets old, but it's a dangerous place to be. Dangerous in the sense that you unconsciously find yourself in "stuck mode" leaving very little room for growth.
People grow when they allow new people and experiences to come into their lives. They grow when they change their fitness routine. What about mental and spiritual growth? I believe that a comfort zone is also a lazy zone. If you don't push yourself to experience new challenges then you won't become any different than you are today.
Here are some thoughts that could help you get out of your comfort zone.

1. Try new fitness routines to get your heart rate up
2. Workout in different locations. Maybe a park or on a lakeshore.
3. Experience a new restaurant at least once a month
4. Attend workshops and spiritual conferences
5. Read books that you normally wouldn't read. Maybe it's a biography or a self-help book
6. How about the order in which you do things at home? Do you race right to the computer to check email or do you go for a nice walk first? Mix it up.
7. Do you wake up the same time every morning? What if you got up 15-20 minutes earlier a few days a week and got in a mini-workout?
8. Do you socialize with the same group of friends?
9. Are your vacation spots the same?
10. Attempt a new hobby, sport, or even a new recipe to share with the family.

There are many ways to get out of the lazy, predictable, growth-limiting comfort zone. It's important to shift out of this rut or perhaps fall prey to depression. Get out of the rut you are in by finding growth opportunities that work for you. You'll be amazed at how a small change in your habitual daily routine can put a spark back into your life.nn nnn