It’s easy to become hypnotized and stuck in complacency and stagnation in our daily lives—doing the same thing, carrying out the same routines, living the same safe lives and never rocking the boat or stepping out of your comfort zone. For some people, this means remaining invisible. But greatness begins at the other end of your comfort zone. You don’t need to be someone who lives the same day over and over for 75 years and then calls that a life.
 
Instead, step outside that comfort zone, release any form of stuckedness (a great word), and commit to being a learner. Become more curious about everything, because if you look at the most successful people, the happiest people, the richest, the most productive, the healthiest, and the best of the best, those people understand what neurobiologists teach us, which is that the brain craves novelty. When you make progress in your life and start disrupting your winning formula, you’re stretching to reach new areas that may not be easy.
 
We all have people around us—or maybe you’re even one of them—who get caught up in how society tells you to live, how your day is meant to look, not to reach too high, to play it safe. I certainly was one of those people, but all of that comes from fear, that fear we don’t even realize is part of us, though it rules us and makes us only go so high. Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to dig yourself out of a rut or you keep doing the same things over and over? I was there until I said, “Seriously, this has got to go!” I decided to step out of my comfort zone.
 
As an introvert, terrified to even speak in front of people, let me tell you that trying new things wasn’t easy! Breaking out of my comfort zone was and still is the hardest thing I’ve had to do, but once you start, it’s like magic. Don’t let other people’s criticism or discouragement ever hold you back, or worse, let their words get in your head. The only way I’ve gotten to where I am, successfully supporting my family as an author (and that isn’t as easy as you may think), is because I never get stuck doing the same thing.
 
At one time, I was Amazon exclusive, but I took a chance and broke out of that mold to go retailer wide. I’m always trying new things. Some work, some don’t, and if something doesn’t work, it isn’t a failure but a learning experience that only gets me to work and move and stretch into unfamiliar territory. From foreign rights to audiobooks, the publishing industry is constantly changing. You remember those free novellas I put out every month? Well, things have changed, the industry has changed, and instead of fighting those changes, I’m reaching and trying new things. Doing so is unbelievably energizing. There will be something new, something exciting, as I reach to the ends of my limits. It may feel hard and scary, but you’re growing. Just keep telling yourself that.
 
As an author, I can tell you this has become especially key. The industry is changing so rapidly on a daily, weekly, monthly basis that unless you’re always learning, stepping out of your comfort zone, trying and doing something different, you will not succeed. There are some things I’ve tried that haven’t worked, but I can honestly tell you that those failed attempts weren’t failures. Many authors who were once successful are getting left behind and drowning in a sea of change. There are so many authors out there, so many books, that what once would’ve been a bestseller can easily now slip into the abyss, and that is truly unfortunate. But this isn’t just in the publishing industry, it’s in everything. Doesn’t matter whether you’re an entrepreneur, a contractor, a small business owner, or a taxi driver: The key purpose in life is for you to grow.
 
You may be in a season where you’re confused, and that’s okay. Just remember that if you’re growing, you’re winning. Most people do the same thing, repeat the same day, same routines, think the same thoughts, drive the same routes to work, watch the same TV shows, and wonder why there’s no magic in their lives. They wonder why they’re not productive and making it, why they’re not climbing the corporate ladder, or any ladder, or being the best of the best. Breaking out of your comfort zone will help you deconstruct those thoughts and release the addiction of holding on to the safe harbor, the knowns. You know the ship that sits in the harbor and avoids the turbulent sea, but that’s not what ships are meant for. That’s not what we are meant for.
 
Just remember that if you choose to spend your life in that safe harbor of the known with the same people, the same thinking, the same behaviors, it is safe, but it is also dangerous. So go to the edge of your limits, because that’s how your limits expand. That’s how you expand, how you succeed.
 
Today, do something that makes you uncomfortable. The thing you’re most resisting is what you need to do now, and so is the conversation you keep putting off. Do the things that frighten you. Every single time you walk into the fire of your discomfort and do something that has been terrifying you, you take back the power you gave that fear, and if you do it every single day with consistency, you become the bravest person. Create a habit of getting outside your comfort zone on a daily basis. I’m doing it every day, so join me.

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