The only constant in life is change. It is inevitable. But sometimes we get too comfortable with our daily lives and routines to embrace that change. We can feel safe and complacent in our work, our teams, our relationships and a lot of the time we don’t recognize our development has stalled until it’s too late.
Now there are a lot of worn-out phrases we have all been given as advice before: Get out of your comfort zone! Expand your horizon! Try something new! Most of the time we take them to heart briefly, maybe even do something different, and then go back to our old ways again. But last year, when I was going through a phase of disappointments and knew I had to change my mindset to get out of it, I decided to make those my mantras for a new lifestyle.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying a new class or workout can break a worn routine.
If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you keep getting what you’ve always got.
Man is a creature of habit, and changing your ways has a bigger effect than just getting you out of a rut. Trying out new things can ultimately lead you to become the best version of yourself, and here is how: Make it a habit to opt for the unknown and say “yes” to things you haven’t done before. Start with small things, like choosing a different route on your run or trying out the vegan meal at lunch instead of going with your usual choice of pasta. Then, try out that new class at the gym or start a new sport.
“Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because it’s the one that will help you grow.”
For me, that new sport was CrossFit, and starting it was definitely one of the best decisions I have made in the past year! Not only has it made me fitter than ever before, but it has helped me grow mentally as well. CrossFit has this way of pushing you beyond your limits and making you do things you never thought you could, thereby increasing your confidence and belief in yourself. It also teaches you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, which made it easier for me to get out of my comfort zone and also put myself in socially uncomfortable and new situations.
Better to try and fail than never to try at all.
The important thing is, it’s not about whether you succeed at something new you try or not. It is about giving yourself credit for even trying.
If you keep an open mind in this process, the benefits will follow automatically. At first, when I started on my journey, I decided to overcome my fears by facing them head-on. I became more resistant and gradually grew in confidence to face and conquer bigger and bigger fears.
This increased my self-reliance and boosted my confidence, showing me that…I was capable of way more than I thought! Lastly, trying out new things increased my creativity as the challenges I gave myself took me to new places, put me in front of new people and ultimately gave me a new perspective on things.
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