My comfort zone is as far away from people as possible. It’s quiet and without much expectations or stress besides the kind I put on myself. I like that, and I know many others feel the same way, but sometimes I think about what life would be like outside my comfort zone.

How would I react to constantly being around people and their expectations 24/7?

Would I adapt? How long would that take?

I thought, “Where would I even start?” And so I created a list of ways to get out of my comfort zone.

1. Know what you want to accomplish.

There is nothing worse than saying you want to do something only to come back a few days later and realize that you still haven’t done it. One of the best things to do when trying to get out of your comfort zone is knowing exactly what’s outside of your comfort zone.

What makes you uncomfortable and which of those things he do you want to change?

Knowing the answers to those questions allows you to identify what you want to accomplish and create a plan that helps you accomplish those goals.

 2. Put yourself out there and connect with people of all ages.

One of the best ways to get to know people or get better at talking to people is through experience. The best way to gain expuso to talk to the people around you. Not only will it help you get out of your comfort zone, it’s also a good way to make connections.

The best way to do this, besides getting a job that allows you to talk to people, is by hanging out with those already have connections to those around them. Inevitably their influence will start to affect your behavior.

3. Be open to criticism and rejection

For me, one of the worst things about trying something new is always the fear that comes with it. Whether from yourself, or those you try to connect with, opinions and rejection will always stick with you and not only does that make that less motivated, it also makes you less confident. The best thing you can do when trying to get out of your comfort zone is learn to be okay with rejection and the best way to do that is by experiencing it and thinking about how much this future connection or skill could benefit you in the long run (in both your personal and professional life.)

4. Learn from your experiences without trying to avoid them.

Of all the things on this list, this is the probably the hardest for me. When things happen, like rejection or criticism, I either obsess, and think about it too much, or completely ignore, it and think about it too little, or Learning from your experiences go hand in hand with learning to be okay with rejection and criticism: without all three you can’t improve but learning to accept that takes time. I’ve foun,d that the best way to stop avoiding the problem is to put yourself in situations where the cons of avoidance outweigh the pros. Yes you can still refuse to acknowledge the issue but sooner or later it becomes impossible to avoid the problem.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to step out of your comfort zone, and it can seem nerve wracking at first, but you don’t need to jump right into it. Taking baby steps is always the best option. Doing so helps you understand the things you do, you’re doing them and it can help you feel more at ease about the new stuff they once felt dangerous to you.

It all starts when you take the first step and no matter how many times you start over, there’s always time to make it later.