It’s always easy to just keep doing what feels familiar. This year, here are the top 5 reasons why you need to get out of your comfort zone and resist the temptation to stay in it.

When things are stressful, many of us resort to staying in our comfort zone. Doing, saying, watching, or eating things that we already know. That’s fine, of course. It is natural to want to stick with things to which we are accustomed.

But the more time we spend in this zone, the more difficult it gets to break free from this space. Many people will spend their entire lives there, never venturing outside to see what they could have or might be capable of achieving. And there is a cost for living our lives this way.

While staying inside our bubble offers instant benefits, we end up sacrificing the potential for much better possibilities down the road. It’s worth remembering that getting out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to be a radical act. Maybe you challenge yourself to speak up in a meeting that you normally find intimidating or invite a new neighbour to go on a walk. Then you can gradually push yourself to take on bigger (strategic) risks.

Here are five reasons you need to get out of your comfort zone:

Builds confidence

Confidence is a learned art. One can build this skill by setting and achieving goals. Then, adding more goals to pursue. Confidence is developed by facing our fears and taking risks.

Develops inner strength

Doing the same thing daily can leave one feeling stuck and unhappy. Implementing something new that makes us feel uncomfortable helps build inner strength and resilience. Even if one fails, there is a new experience that one can draw upon in the future. Put many (failed or successful) experiences together and you have a building block that enables a more meaningful life.

Makes us more adaptable

Change is the only constant – so you better learn to deal with it. Those who fear change, risk getting left behind in today’s VUCA world. For people already pushing their comfort zone, change doesn’t seem as intimidating. You’ll be able to welcome a new project at work or learning a new language as a challenge to be accomplished, rather than be fearful of. You’ll also be able to seize more opportunities for growth this way.

Heightened creativity

The longer we are unwilling to entertain new thoughts, ideas, and new ways of doing things, the more we slip into a rut. By trying something new, we stir up creative juices that awaken our imagination. It also increases our problem-solving skills, a huge asset for any team.

You miss out!

Those who never venture far will never know what might have been if they tried to do the things they initially were scared off. All successful people take risks, fail, pick themselves up, and risk again. Before hitting the success story.

While taking the safe route is always tempting, it means paying a high price of regret down the road.

In interviews with people who were at the end of their life, they often cite regrets about what they always wanted to do, but didn’t. I have never heard of someone saying on their deathbed that they were comforted by the fact that they took the safe way out and didn’t take any risks. If life is about preparing for our death, avoiding regret is perhaps the most compelling reason that we need to move out of our comfort zone.

Where to start? Write the five things that you are scared of, decide which ones you can work on – and get onto it! If there is something you want to share with us, mention it in the comments and let us all help each other to bust out of our comfort zones.

Readers also enjoyed: Fun & Meaningful Team Meetings