Your Old Stretch is Your New Comfort Zone
If you want to make big changes in your life, you need to take smaller steps than you ever have before.
If you want something to be different, it requires you to do something different. When you do things differently, it feels uncomfortable, which is why change can feel hard. But when you can push through this discomfort, and you sustain this subtle discomfort for a little while, you change.
Little by little, that discomfort feels more tolerable — and eventually — comfortable again. Once you’re comfortable again, you’ve changed.
Think about working out. When you haven’t done it for a while, it feels so hard. After a few weeks, though, you can run a little longer, do a few extra push ups, or add another day to your week. That’s your body changing.
The fun — and tricky — thing about this is that once you’re comfortable again, what was once your stretch is now your new comfort zone.
What you did to change may no longer be what you need to do to get to the next step. Now that you’re bigger, bolder, and more badass, you have to up your stretch to get to the next step.
And that’s the change process.
- Identify desire (or pain)
- Change something
- Get a little uncomfortable
- Stick with the discomfort until it feels comfortable
- Repeat
P.S. You’ll notice I said “get a little uncomfortable.” The ‘little’ was very intentional. If you want to make big changes in your life, you need to take smaller steps than you ever have before.
Push too far, too hard, too fast, and you’re likely to end up back at the start line.
As a coach, I have two jobs. To help my clients:
- Dream bigger than they ever have in their lives
- Take smaller steps than they ever have in their lives
Slow down. Sit with the discomfort. Feel through it, and experience the change waiting for you on the other side.