Comfort Zone, Leave it by Choice

Chances are good that you’ve already been told that you need to leave your comfort zone to really achieve your highest potential. Do you think people are motivated to leave their comfort zone?

Perhaps different things motivate people, and perhaps different people are motivated by different things.

Consider that you might:

• Put an appointment on your calendar to block a section of time for special work.
• Place a small white board on the wall of your office for notes about important projects or strategies.
• Set an alarm on your phone to make sure you get up, arrive on time, or do something you might forget about.

Some people consider those to be reminders but others might suggest they are motivation. Some would argue that comfort connects with easy, no need for a reminder, and no special need for a motivator. Yet in other cases some people believe that motivation is very simple, it just comes naturally.

Are you motivated to break free from your comfort zone?

Comfort Zone

The real story is that your comfort zone is about choice. There is a difference about leaving by choice or being pushed until you’re uncomfortable. Some might suggest they find comfort in the uncomfortable.

Consider that people who interact with no filter might get it, or they might not. Perhaps discomfort makes them feel alive, excited and motivated. If they don’t feel it, surprise, they’re going to shake things up.

Day in and day out most people operate within their comfort zone. They might have goals to reach beyond it and strive for more, or a boss or coach might try to push them to reach for more.

Can you be pushed out of your comfort zone?

Motivated by Push

A deadline, a doctor’s appointment, or the fear of a dental cavity might push people to work longer hours, get in better shape, or brush their teeth.

Fear is a motivator but it pushes from behind or from the side. It lacks the most essential motivation element which is inspiration. Inspiration draws you in, pulls you along, and makes continuing much easier. It’s more comfortable.

In the workplace you can push someone out of their comfort zone, but the end result might only be discomfort, no growth, a few steps back, or just a bunch of missed deadlines and expensive work.

Pulled by Purpose

Smile for the customer, sell the product, or glue the parts together. None of those are about pull, only about push.

People are inspired by purpose.

Pulled by purpose might exist when what we do makes customers happy. When we offer a product or service that solves a difficult problem, or when we combine our talents with our special process and create something that changes lives.

Inspired people are motivated people, they’re pulled (or compelled) to do more, be more, and achieve more.

They choose their zone. Label it comfort, or label it discomfort, they’re pulled because they feel it.

It’s their purpose.

They’ll do their best, on purpose, by choice.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

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