Comfort Zones?

Everyone has those places, people and events that make them feel comfortable; maybe from good experiences - or just from habit - you will most likely be more relaxed when a certain set of circumstances line up. Having a comfort zone is so normal, sometimes we forget that there are other zones out there that we can look into, and that’s what’s happened to me, and I decided to change that. 

Some events have transpired over the last year or so that have made me realise that maybe I haven’t been living my life to the fullest, and that I could be doing so much more with my time. When I’ve thought about it properly it’s because I’ve spent too much time existing in the little bubble that I have always known and been content in; my comfort zone. I am a Type A, meticulous planner that could give Amy Santiago a run for her money, but why? What do I gain from going over and over plans hundreds of times before I complete them, how does this enrich my life at all? After a small existential crisis I decided that enough was enough and that this summer was the time to give myself a challenge and to step out of my comfort zone more and more, I think today it has definitely reached its head. 

Earlier this summer I took a three day trip to Brighton with a friend that I would say, by my standards, was fairly spontaneous. When I say this I mean I only spent two days planning it, and we decided to leave about 6 days after coming up with the idea. This to me was absolutely crazy because in my comfort zone everything has been planned so carefully that I would have a few weeks, even months to prepare for a trip or an event. We ended up having a great time so I decided to take it even further…

Today I went to London with no plans. I used to live in the outskirts of the city so it’s not entirely unfamiliar to me, but I’m not a frequent visitor. I purchased a £13.10 1 day travelcard at the station (Sidenote: what a bargain would highly recommend! tube, trams, trains, buses unlimited all day!!! Not Spon I promise) got on a train to London Bridge station and made it up as I went along. I decided to spend the day just doing what I wanted when I wanted, in my own time, but with no pre-made plans or anyone with me. Taking this step outside my comfort zone seemed like a big deal to me, it may not to anyone else, or to those who know London well, but I get easily overwhelmed when I have too many options, and like I mentioned, I love having plans. 

I had a really good day, went to visit the Tower of London, the Theatre District, Covent Garden, Knightsbridge and had a nice walk along the Thames before coming back home, and I feel like, although I didn’t really do anything “productive”, that I have done something important today; I have proven that stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things that maybe a year ago I would have laughed at the idea of can really end up being a lot of fun, and could even lead to some great opportunities, or at the very least give some great photo opportunities and some nice memories, especially since I’m leaving the country for a while and won’t be able to go to London again any time soon! It may not seem like a big deal to some people, but to me this has given me confidence to know that the world isn’t going to end if I act a bit spontaneously, and that I can navigate cities by myself and have fun doing it, which in turn has made me less apprehensive about going on my year abroad!

Have you stepped out of your comfort zone recently? If so, tell us about it in the comments or on our twitter @almostlawyers. If not, why not? Tell us how you’re going to step out of your comfort zones in the future!