Comfort Zones and Stepping Outside the Box

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been infatuated with my comfort zone.

Honestly, I think everyone likes being in their comfort zone; I mean duh – it's where people are the most comfortable.

But seriously, I would fight tooth and nail to stay inside my comfort bubble. My mom would gently try to nudge me outside of that bubble and I would do everything I could to resist. Sometimes she succeeded and sometimes I did. Decades later, I am still the same person who loves to reside in my comfort zone. In my box, as Matt calls it.

The other week, I was at my parents house and my mom was watching a show on the Oprah network. Oprah was talking about stepping out of your box; living life outside of your comfort zone. In theory, that's a great philosophy. Usually, the most amazing and worthwhile things happen when we are outside of our boxes.

But, for me – that's insanely challenging. So much so that I can hardly fathom myself living way outside of my box.

Matt and I have friends who have such adventurous spirits and decide on whims to go and travel to far away and exotic places. They travel alone, meeting people along the way. They thrive on the unknown, the adventure, the journey.

We wish we were like that!

I'm more so a lover of my comfort zone, but Matt likes to live in his as well. Lately though, it seems like we are feeling the itch to step outside of it. Maybe not by jumping on a plane and traveling around the world to new and foreign places. Maybe not yet anyway. But even just doing small, little things that stretch us. That make us slightly uncomfortable, but in a good, positive, growth-inspiring way.

Last week, we were in a situation where we were uncomfortable, definitely outside of our boxes. While the tendency for each of us was to flea and go back to what we know and what is comfortable, we didn't. We completed our mission, and then headed back to our boxes. While not a major feat by any means, it was a small victory in the journey to step outside our boxes.

As 2011 nears completion and 2012 looms, I am starting to think about what I want the new year to be like. What I want to accomplish. What our goals are. Where we want to be one year from now. I think 2012 is going to include more time spent outside of our boxes.