Comfort zone makes you the greatest procrastinator --or does it? My story

You get afraid of facing challenges of life and it brings out the worst in you -never let you know your full potential--let alone develop it. Cocooned in the zone -you defy the poem of Robert Frost -- of taking the road less travelled. You always travel the road on which everyone travels-- as you are sure of the destinations and hardships on your way to achieving your goal. You travel on the same road again and again-- thinking your life is under control--refusing to come out of the false security cocoon. as a result at the end of the day -- you are at the same place where you started. No new skills, no new personality development, static income. My story-- I was in a government job for almost 3 decades-- where horses and donkeys are all the same-- there is no respect for your inefficiency or efficiency- at the end of the month -- you are happy with your guaranteed fixed income. The month passes balancing your budget of credits and debits- waiting for next month's assured pay check. Why was I afraid to come out? I was afraid of family obligations and my general basic nature of not taking any risks. Whenever I am on a long drive --i always want to be at the wheel of my car-- controlling it--so is with life I always want all things under predictable control-- Actually I had not timed my premature retirement well-- my kid had not finished his studies-- home loan EMI was on -- the steady monthly income from a permanent job--lulled me. The fear of unknown-- snapped me-- it was always -- what if? on the negative side. As a result I failed to take a single step to come out of the comfort zone. And that is where in life-- the meek fails-- and the bold makes it. Got stuck in the same everyday rut - month after month. A rolling stone gathers no moss-actually we gather so much moss that we forget to roll. We are happy to see the world pass by -comforting myself that --if you do not shift the goal post-- you remain happy.But if you do not shift the goal post-- you would not know the various ways to dribble --or how to score more goals. How did it harm me? The sense of security in the comfort zone has kept me away from realizing my full potential. Stopped developing new skills, kept on shutting doors of opportunities one by one which came my way. There were no new challenges-- so no new creative ideas it was a 9am to 5pm rut. As a result when life threw actual challenges -- there was total lack of confidence and anxiety to combat these problems. and wanted to snuggle back to my zone of comfort-- which I did. Lessons Learnt Coming out of your comfort zone can be challenging It requires a different set of mental make up-- to accept uncertainties in life-- to take calculated and uncalculated risks. And I found that the transition was the most vulnerable part--when you realize who are your real friends--and who are there to take advantages of your vulnerability during your transition. Create achievable goals with small steps. There were people along the way waiting like vultures who tried to take advantage of my fragile situation -- I realised the importance of my better half-- no questions asked, nothing in return -when she stood right behind me -- with solid integrity and loyality-steering me into a safe place whenever I got into a mess. Realisation Dawned I realised -- getting out of your comfort zone is a slow process-the initial struggle and effort is numbing--but it ultimately paves its way into way into success and glory --if you persist. I may be talking with a mindset of a loser--the time to come out of your comfort zone is when you are young, you got the energy to begin a new life with vigor. Otherwise plan your premature retirement meticulously- so that it is a smooth transition from finances, EMI.s , house, child education , post retirement employment etc. Suddenly your set routine of exercise, hobbies, diet, family time-- goes haywire-- while you are in pursuit of your new routine. and it does take a toll on your physical and mental life. But there are also advantages of comfort zone if you are in a cushy government job--especially if you are in a comfortable pay bracket-- enough time to pursue your hobbies, enough time to look after your health, enough family time, a fulfilling social life, pick up new skills, develop a side hustle, and skill up yourself for picking up jobs -- post retirement-- to keep you occupied as you know at the month end-- the pension will be there. Remember that coming out of your comfort zone takes time and effort. Don't be too hard on yourself if you struggle at first. With practice, you can learn to face challenges with confidence and courage. And at the same time-- enjoying your comfort zone-- does not make you a loser. Take your pick.

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