Expand Your Comfort Zone

We are all familiar with the concept that we need to go outside of our comfort zone for personal growth to happen.

Until recently I would have agreed with you. That was until I read an Instagram post from my online client, Aisling about expanding your comfort zone. See the screenshot below:

I immediately loved the concept of expanding rather than leaving your comfort zone when seeking change or growth.

Imagine for a moment you are comfortable jumping into a pool from the deck. You decide you’d like to jump from a higher platform and ascend the 78 steps¹ to the 10m diving board.

That’s a big jump (see what I did there)!

You probably want to start on a springboard and build up from there, right?

You’ll need to build up the skills and confidence to ensure you hit the water safely over the course of weeks, months, years maybe!

Now apply the concept of expanding your comfort zone to exercise and nutritional change.

Going immediately from a sedentary lifestyle eating a high processed food diet to high volume or high intensity exercise along with a rigid meal plan involving complex food preparation and cooking skills is the lifestyle equivalent of going from a cannonball at the local pool to a 10m board at the Olympics.

You may execute the new lifestyle or jump/dive at the beginning. Eventually, as you get closer to the water, your lack of preparation and skill will become evident.

We are in peak analogy mode here so I hope you’re still with me on this.

When coaching, clients need to be ready, willing and able to perform a new task or habit before asking them to implement it. You may be willing to stick to a rigid meal plan but if you have 3 children, a full time job and stressful disposition then you won’t be ready or able. We need all 3 to at least attempt a new habit or lifestyle change.

Ask yourself what you are currently comfortable with and how you can expand that slightly.

Are you already walking 30 minutes 3 times a week? Add 5-10 minutes. Do an extra walk at weekends. You don’t start aiming for 15km tempo runs.

Are you already eating 1 piece of fruit a day, aim for 1 more. You don’t expect to eat 8 portions of fruit for breakfast.

Are you Deadlifting 80kg for 10 reps? Aim to lift 82.5kg for 10 reps or 80kg for 11 reps. You don’t jump to 100kg for 20 reps and expect it to go well.

While pushing from inside the comfort zone for those that ride mountain bikes down mountains can reduce the risk of serious accidents, when it comes to lifestyle change it can also reduce the risk of “accidents” or poor adherence that leads to poor consistency and, ultimately, poor results.

Stop trying to jump from the 10m board when you haven’t mastered how to tread water.

Your Coach,

Mark