Don't Let Your Comfort Lead To Your Regret 

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It's always tempting to stay within our comfort zone, especially when we're feeling safe and secure. But staying in our comfort can lead to regret down the road. We may wish we had taken more risks in our lives because by doing so could have open us up to new opportunities and experiences. There is an old saying "Your comfort zone is your danger zone"! What this means is that if your fear, self-doubt, or a lack of self-confidence convince you to stay in your comfort zone and not to try something new or take a risk, you're actually doing yourself a disservice by letting your comfort lead to your regret. So I want to encourage you in this writing to get our of your comfort zone so that your comfort doesn't lead to your regret.

Several years ago I decided to substitute teach at this middle school. After my lunch break, I had cafeteria duty which is something I always dreaded because it was challenging controlling a bunch of middle school students filled with sugary snacks and drinks. I walked into the cafeteria and students were running around and yelling to the top of their lungs.

There was another substitute teacher named Mr. Paul, who was very slim, with white hair and in his early sixties. After he and I got the students under control, he asked "Do you plan on being a full time teacher?" "No" "Why not? I mean you are still very young." "I'm pursuing other things in my life but the good thing is that I will still be involved in education." "How so if you not going to teach?" "I'm actually a Motivational Speaker. I get paid to speak at schools about Drug-Prevention, Self-Discipline, and Social and Emotional Skills."

He silently stared at me then asked "How did you get involved in that?" "Its a long story but to give you the short version. I was working in Corporate America and I was not happy at my job so I took time to figure out a way I could make a living with a business. I figured it out and decided to take a risk." "You know Gene, one of my biggest regrets in life is I didn't take that very risk. This is an awkward conversation because what you are doing with your life is the very thing I wanted to do. Man I also had a dream of traveling and speaking at schools, colleges, or Churches but I never acted on it because I was so afraid I would fail. I spent the majority of my life working at a warehouse and I hated working there but it was comfortable. For years I wanted to quit that job and go after my dream but I didn't and I wonder what would have happened if I had taken a chance on myself. I'm retired now and I substitute teach to keep myself lively. But Gene I have commend you for not letting your comfort lead to your regret."

That conversation with Mr. Paul helped me to realize the impact our comfort zone can have on our future self. To see the look of regret in his eyes and on his facial expressions made me more appreciative that I took the risk for my dream.

So I have a question for you, "Are you allowing your comfort to lead to your regret?" If so, I want to challenge you to step our of your comfort zone and give yourself a chance to live your dream. Now I know that is easier said than done so I want to give you some small steps you can take that can help you to get out of your comfort zone.

1. Identify what you fear will happen if you were to leave your comfort zone to pursue your dream.

2. Write what you fear you will never know you could have accomplished if you don't pursue your dream.

3. Make a decision. Circle A or B

A. I'm happy to remain in my comfort zone, as the prospect of regretting that I did not pursue my dream doesn't bother me.

B. Knowing that one day I will regret not pursuing my dream due to my comfort bothers me, so I want to begin pursing it.

If you circled A, you can stop here because you are happy in your comfort and there is nothing wrong with that. If you circled B, move on to the next statement.

4. Challenge the fear you wrote about leaving your comfort zone by writing at least 10 reasons you will be successful pursuing your dream.

5. Zig Ziglar said "You don't have to be great to get started but you have to start to become great" This is your moment to start so write 1-3 small actions you will take towards your dream in the next 2 days.

6. After you have taken that or those initial steps, write out a 6-month plan of steps you will take towards your dream. For example, I wrote out a 6-month plan to develop my public speaking skills and It involved me joining a speech club, doing a minimum of 4 speeches a month for 6 month period.

Jim Rohn said "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weights ounces while regret weights tons."

You will have to choose which pain you will suffer. Will it be the pain of growing into your dream because you refused to let your comfort lead to your regret or will it be the regret because your comfort prevented you from ever achieving your dream? The choice is yours but I hope you choose your dream over your potential regret because You Are WORTHY TO BE GREAT!!

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