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By Khalilah Starks

Should I start a new business? Should I leave my company? Should I accept a new job? Should I move to a new city? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. What should you do? My answer – Whatever takes you outside of your comfort zone! It’s human nature to want to do what’s comfortable. We like certainty. The path that seems the less riskiest can seem like the right path. There’s so much comfort in traveling down a path that you know. You know where it’s going. It’s easy. It doesn’t take much effort. There’s nothing to figure out. It’s a sure thing. There are no surprises. You know what you’re getting. It’s living on cruise control. Sounds good, if you merely want to exist. Sounds great, if you want to be limited.

Let me tell you where the real action takes place – Outside of the comfort zone! That is where true expansion takes place. However, operating outside of the comfort zone doesn’t feel so good. It’s uncomfortable. It’s pretty scary. There’s no certainty about where you’re going. It’s not easy – at first. There’s the possibility of failure. So, with all of these seemingly negative things, why would you even want to go outside your comfort zone? Because, massive success and potential lives there. Moving out of the comfort zone is bold. And, bold moves equal big results.

Here are 4 things that you should know as you move out of your comfort zone:

1. Fear is Natural and Expected. Recognize that fear is a positive indicator that you’re moving outside of your comfort zone. We often think that if there’s fear, we should consider not moving forward. Most times, this simply isn’t true. Fear is simply a natural reaction to encountering something that we are unsure about. We feel fear when there is a perceived threat of failure. The only time that fear serves you is when there is an imminent threat of danger or harm. So, unless there’s a lion that will bite your head off, move past it. The gains of getting to the other side far outweigh any perceived threats of failure.

2. Either Way, You Win. There are one of two things that will happen when you move out of your comfort zone – you’ll either succeed or you’ll fail. You’ll either get the outcome that you desire or you won’t. Obviously, if you succeed, your results will be greater than if you played it safe because you’re operating from an expanded place. Of course, we love to succeed and hate to fail. But, if you fail, you have the opportunity to grow and gain a great lesson that can be applied to achieve massive results in the future. Failure obviously doesn’t feel so good initially. But, the greatest lessons come from failure. Experience is indeed a great teacher.

3. You Will Become Unstoppable. One of the biggest rewards of moving out of your comfort zone is an expanded comfort zone. Whatever is uncomfortable to you today will eventually become comfortable. It will become your comfort zone if you decide to push past it. If you continuously push the limits and move outside of your comfort zone, you will be constantly expanding. With this expansion, you become unstoppable!

4. People Will Watch. Making bold moves often gets the attention of people who aren’t yet ready to make their own bold moves. You can serve as an inspiration to them. There will be people who cheer you on. But, there will also be the opportunity for them to see you fail. But, so what! Don’t worry about that. There’s so much power in being willing to fail in the pursuit of massive success and personal fulfillment. It takes guts! You can’t care about what anyone says or thinks. Be confident, be bold and press forward outside your comfort zone. And, keep your head up even if you don’t get your desired outcome the first time. The only person who never failed is the person who never tried.

If you’re really struggling with moving outside of your comfort zone, ask yourself, “If I absolutely knew that I’d succeed or get my desired outcome, would I do this?” If your answer is yes, the only thing holding you back is the fear of failure. This is nothing but a perceived threat. It isn’t real. You have just as much of an opportunity to succeed as you do to fail. We are often wired so negatively and often focus on what could go wrong as opposed to focusing on what can go right. What if you actually do succeed? How would you feel? What would those results look like? If the idea of success or your desired outcome feels exciting and great, moving out of your comfort zone is worth it!