“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” ― William G.T. Shedd

I love quotations to motivate me and this is a great one. It reminds me to step out of my comfort zone. A comfort zone is a, well, very comfortable place to be. And it is a comfortable place to stay. It is known, it is safe, it is boring.

Yes, boring. Every once in a while, it is important to get out of your comfort zone and do something just a little bit uncomfortable. It could mean writing a blog post (you don’t have to start your own blog, there are lots of them out there and many of them may be willing to let you write a post or two–including me), it could mean running in a 5K, it could mean giving a presentation, it could mean ziplining for the first time. There are a million ways to get out of your comfort zone. It just takes that first step.

You may well be surprised at how rewarding it is to step outside of the comfort one. When you brain is working through it, it is unbelievably scary because our brains like to think about all the negatives in any situation. If  you use your logical brain to work through it and actually do the thing that is uncomfortable, the rewards are so worth it. You will feel accomplished–you set a goal and actually met it. You will feel pleased with yourself. You will feel amazing.

So think about something outside of your comfort zone that you are interested in doing, decide what you need to do to meet that goal, and then start working toward it. “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” Ships are for sailing on the ocean, not for sitting safe in harbor. You are made to enjoy your life, not sit on the sidelines and watching it flash before your eyes. Inch that toe outside your comfort zone and do something that you never thought you would. You will never be the same!