Is Your Comfort Zone Stealing Your Dream
Jan 05, 2026 3:01 pm
Your Comfort Zone Is Stealing Your Dream
Your comfort zone disguises itself as safety while quietly stealing your dreams by keeping you from becoming who you were meant to be.
It holds you back from learning, causes missed opportunities, and fosters laziness. You stay where you are because you've become comfortable with your stagnation. But the truth is, short-term avoidance often leads to long-term regret.
That is why, in this writing, I want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone so you won't be left with the regret of it stealing your dream.
KNOWLEDGE STAGNATION
When I worked at my corporate job, one thing they always did every year was organize what they called a personal development week. During this week, they held workshops and invited speakers to talk to us.
Their goal was to keep us comfortable in our roles so we wouldn’t pursue what we truly wanted to do. I’m not going to lie—I used to enjoy these personal development weeks because I learned things that could help me improve at my job. But the problem was, I didn’t like the job itself. It didn’t feel fulfilling. I felt very depressed and didn’t enjoy being at work.
You see, I was stuck in a comfort zone, just like you probably are right now, doing things simply because they’re comfortable.
But what you need to realize is this: as long as you stay in that comfort zone, it will keep you from learning new things that help you reach your potential.
The first thing it will do is cause you to experience knowledge stagnation by preventing you from gaining the knowledge needed to build the dream in your heart. So, if you want the opportunity to make your dream a reality, you have to step outside your comfort zone and learn what it takes to realize it.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
The second thing the comfort zone does is cause you to miss opportunities. When I was in college, I was an RA, or resident assistant, which meant I was in charge of one of the dorm floors.
I had about 50 freshman guys, and one thing I did was build a really strong community. I helped my guys get jobs, mentored them, and acted like a big brother to them. Other RAs noticed that I had a thriving floor, and everyone wanted to know how I built such good relationships with the guys.
One day, my hall director approached me and said, "Hey, Gene, we have a conference coming up for all the RAs, and we would like you to be one of the speakers."
I had some experience with public speaking but none in front of a large crowd, so I declined because I was afraid. Here’s the thing: I was very comfortable being an RA. I was comfortable with my guys and just going to class.
But when an opportunity arose that could have helped me discover my gift for public speaking, I didn’t take it. You see, the comfort zone caused me to miss that opportunity.
You may have opportunities in your life too, but because of your comfort zone, you say no. Because of the comfort zone, you give in to fear. You have to step outside that comfort zone to seize those opportunities.
SHORT-TERM PAIN or LONG-TERM REGRET
Third, the comfort zone can make you avoid short-term pain, which may lead to long-term regret. When I was in the corporate world, considering pursuing my dream, I once spoke with our HR director after returning from medical leave.
She looked at me and asked, "Gene, what do you want to do with your life?" I replied, "What do you mean?" She said, "I'm asking because when you went on medical leave, we had to hire three people to replace you. That shows you have an excellent work ethic. So, what do you truly want to do?"
I answered, "To be honest, Miss Becky, I want to be an author, a speaker, and run my own business."
She looked at me and said, "Gene, do you know why I’ve lost so much weight?" I said, "No, ma’am." She replied, "Because I have terminal cancer. I want to encourage you to pursue what you truly want to do because you will regret it if you don’t."
She added, "For years, I wanted to be a school teacher. Year after year, I procrastinated because I felt comfortable in this job—even though I hated it. But now, with terminal cancer, I can’t follow that dream. My doctor told me my time is limited, and now I have regret."
You see, up until that point, I had been letting my comfort zone keep me from pursuing my dream because I was avoiding short-term pain. I knew that learning business would be painful.
I knew that writing a book would be painful. And because I focused on that pain, I was unwilling to go after my dream. But after talking to Becky, I realized that staying in my comfort zone would lead to long-term regret if I didn’t pursue my dream.
No matter what your dream is, if you’re in a comfort zone right now and avoiding it to escape short-term pain, I want to encourage you to go after it—endure the pain, develop the skills, and let that pain teach you the lessons necessary to sustain your dream.
DREAM LAZINESS
Fourth, the comfort zone can lead to what I call "dream laziness." I remember talking to a friend who always wanted to create a dating service. I asked her, "When are you going to start it?"
She replied, "Gene, I've been saying every year that I'm going to start this dating service." I asked, "Why haven't you started?" She said, "To be honest, if I do it, I’ll have to work on weekends. At my current job, I work five days a week, and I really don’t want to give up my weekends."
You see, the comfort zone caused her to become lazy about her dream. Because of that, she never took action to make it a reality.
Whatever your dream is, if you stay in that comfort zone long enough and let it become so comfortable that you start justifying not working on your dream, you’ll realize that you’ll remain stuck and your dream will never come true.
So, I want to encourage you today to make up your mind. Don’t let the comfort zone make you lazy about your dream. Instead, work on your dream even when you're tired and when you don’t feel like it. By doing this, despite the comfort zone, you’ll put yourself in a position to achieve your dream.
MEDIOCRITY SETTLEMENT
Fifth, the comfort zone will cause you to settle for mediocrity. When I was working in the wellness industry, there was a lady who was a respiratory therapist and wanted to become a nurse.
She was about 55 years old and had taken the nursing exam repeatedly but kept failing. One day, I asked her, "Why do you keep taking this nursing exam if you keep failing?"
She said, "Because I really want to be a nurse. That is my dream. Before I retire, I will be a nurse." So she took the test for the seventh time and failed again. Then she said to me, "Gene, you know what? I'm going to take that test again, and I think this time I'll pass."
About a year later, she took the test again and, on the eighth attempt, finally passed the nursing exam. I congratulated her and asked, "When are you going to start working as a nurse?"
She replied, "I'm applying for jobs now." She applied at many hospitals month after month, but no one would hire her.
Then one day, I approached her. She looked very sad. I asked, "Are you still applying for nursing jobs?" She replied, "No. I haven't applied for one in about three months." I asked, "Why not?"
She said, "Gene, I've made up my mind. I've realized that nobody is going to hire me as a nurse at 55 years old. That dream isn't going to happen. So, I'm going to continue doing the job I'm doing here and go ahead and retire."
You see, the comfort zone caused her to settle for mediocrity. She had a dream she wanted to achieve. She put in all the work, but when it got extremely hard, she finally gave up.
You, like her, have a dream. Your comfort zone tells you it won't become a reality and tempts you to settle for mediocrity. That’s why I highly encourage you to step outside your comfort zone so it doesn't steal your dream because You Are WORTHY TO BE GREAT!
P.S. First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to read my newsletters. I put a lot of effort into them, and I hope you find value in what I share. Please let me know what you gained from this newsletter.
I also want to ask: if you or someone you know is struggling to get out of their comfort zone, my premium ebook Worth It to Be Great can help. It’s designed to build confidence and discipline, so you can start taking action toward your dreams.
I encourage you to click the link below and get my premium ebook today. If you think someone else could benefit from it—someone struggling with confidence or self-discipline—I’d appreciate it if you would forward the ebook to them.
Thank you once again!
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