The curse of comfort zones
Our race is innately insecure. Our lack of surety due to the procrastinational overload, propels us into a state of perfect stagnation. The stagnation which urges us to snooze are alarms in the morning, the stagnation stopping us from going beyond a speed of 6 on the treadmill, the stagnation stopping us from leaving the comfort zones of social media and build real relationships, the stagnation refraining us from going the extra mile in friendship, the stagnation which make us forego the lucrative business offers which we are bound to rue in retrospection, the stagnation hindering us from taking the first step in earnestness to turn or dreams into reality.
A disease that fights back
No one is immune to this stagnation. Even seasoned professionals with well conditioned brains and motivators with decades of experience accept to be victims of this stagnation after years of practice to countering it. Hence there is no guaranteed therapy or magic potion to rid ourselves of this problem completely. It is like a disease which fights back and requires constant combating. It is incurable but with an ounce full of regular effort we can learn to live with it.
Where else to look for the solution than within the problem?
We face enumerable situations in our daily lives wherein we have to make a decision which will alter the rest of the day for us. In normal circumstances we seem to take the most comfortable alternative so as to avoid the consequences, the unknown withholds. Soon this becomes a habit and we start believing that the comfortable choice is the right one.
But just before we take any decision there comes a moment, brief as it maybe when we are weighing up the options. Wake up now or take another 10 minutes, get ready for the gym or check whatsapp with the virtual world, make an oatmeal shake or just grab some bananas are some of the situations that I face. Obviously as my realm of thought is more governed by the gym so my choices are based upon that. But think about your own routine and you shall find a number of situations where you have a choice between whats comfortable and what demands an extra ounce of effort. This period of decision-making is most important to build a habit to counter procrastination. You can let it slide with the routine choice, feel ashamed that you did but slide nonetheless. Or you can make an honest attempt to counter the normal flow and get inspired to pierce the bubble of comfort and push yourself to excellence.
I face the same fight everyday but then all it takes for me to get inspired is a moment. The moment which demands action contrary to comfort. A simple example comes in the form of what you eat. You can choose to eat for the taste buds all your life and complain about the bulge preventing you from seeing your toes or you can eat something less tasteful but more resourceful. It again takes a moment to pop in some french fries or to decide against it.
Juice for thought
Try to hit the gym occasionally. The lessons are more subliminal than visual/muscular. If you manage to sustain yourself for more than a couple of weeks without quitting you will understand the secrets to unshackling yourself from the bondage of comfort zones. Once you learn this art all you have to superimpose it into any sphere of life that you want to. Business, relationships, talent or any ordinary objective you have planned for yourself, all are built on the same fabric. You can either let it slide or chose to get inspired when it matters and have the life that you have envisioned for yourself. Make the ticking clock count.