Leaving comfort zone for self-improvement

Dr Suman Bharali

(dr.s.bharali@gmail.com)

Most people know themselves better than others. They know what they are doing and what they are capable of. Till a person does not utilize his or her time and energy rightly and expresses his or her highest potential there is no satisfaction within them. It is said that the greatest pain at the end of life is the potential unexpressed. Most people know that they have the capability to excel in a certain field but they never reach that stage and remain unhappy with themselves. Everybody knows their good and bad habits; their right and wrong actions and what they can become in their best form. But most people lack the willpower and determination to take responsibility for their lives and try to improve them. When they observe their lives and see a lot of mess all around, they can't understand which one to take care of and end up doing nothing. They try to avoid thinking about the things that need to be changed and try to find comfort in the existing conditions. But till the thorn is not taken out of the foot there will be pain and discomfort. So, they pass their days being miserable and can't sleep at night peacefully due to anxiety and depression. Instead of taking responsibility and acting for improvement, they start blaming and complaining about other people and situations. Gradually they lack energy, and enthusiasm and can't manage time properly to do anything to change their lives and fall deeper into the pit they are trapped in.

Many people cocoon themselves in their small lives and find comfort in it. They pass their days by keeping themselves busy with little things. Their potentials remain dormant within them and the world is not benefited from them. The people who are connected with them and are dependent on them also suffer because of them. Comfort and instant pleasures are the greatest addictions that hold a person back from taking charge of life and building it. It stops the person from discovering their hidden potential and working on them to achieve success. Dreams of such a person remain as a dream which never gets fulfilled.

When a person gets addicted to comfort, he or she finds out ways to do everything superficially instead of bringing out their best performance. They just get it done somehow instead of excelling in it and creating a masterpiece. Such person procrastinates on their work, projects, assignments and dreams. They like to pass time in leisure, luxury and entertainment then, later on, complain about lack of time. The things and activities that give a person instant pleasure and satisfaction attract the person easily. It is a strong trap and very hard to get out of it.

Such persons will lie on the couch or bed, plug in their earphones and keep watching different things on their mobile phones for hours. Many are addicted to television serials, movies and net series, many are addicted to online and offline games, and many to social media and online shopping. Such people find it difficult to leave their comfort zone and go out in the real world for some work or to interact with people. They do it only when it is inevitable or when they are forced by someone. They become unaware of time and space. They are cut off from the real world and people and live in a virtual world with fake online friends. When they face some problem, they don't find anybody near them to help them. There are thousands of online friends but when they want to share their feelings there is nobody they can trust or who is ready to listen to them. They don't know that these addictions to comfort and entertainment is taking away the precious time in their lives. One day they will become aware of the truth and then realize that they have not worked for self-improvement for a long time and are lagging behind others in many aspects of life. When they realize that they need to fix their life they become frightened and reluctant to take the first step. They don't understand where to start and in which direction to go. But one should remember the proverbs like 'journey of thousand miles start with a single step' and 'the best time to plant a tree was twenty-five years ago and the next best time is today.

One should understand that the games they are playing are the result of the hard work and dedication of their creator, who hustled days and nights to develop them. If they stayed addicted to comfort and procrastination, these could not have been developed. What many people are using for entertainment is an income source for a few who worked for it. And these people don't relax and enjoy their success for a long time. Such people move on to do the next higher work as soon as one project is completed. Also, they have to work continuously to maintain their success intact and going.

Similarly, movies, serials and other shows we keep watching are the results of hard work, dedication and discipline of the actors, director and all other crew members. They are relentless and consistent in their actions to complete the project successfully. They don't relax and enjoy the luxury they have earned. During their prime time, they work for many hours a day. Sometimes they work on several projects simultaneously. Soon after completing a film, they focus on the next one. They have to follow strict discipline to keep them fit, look good and remain presentable all the time. They are always followed by a camera and their every action becomes news. They take calculated diets, exercise regularly, learn and practise different skills related to their profession and are constantly engaged in developing themselves. One who will stagnate will be replaced by someone better as there are always people waiting in the queue with talent. They have to sacrifice many things and bear a lot of pain and discomfort on their road to success. Once they are committed to a project, they have to be present on time and location as a lot of other people are involved and they have to work in synchronization. They rehearse several times before the final performance so that they get the perfect shot. They try to put forward their best performance every time. They have to move to different locations and stay away from home and family and work according to the demand of the script. After several years of hard work and dedication, they become popular.

The sports stars we watch playing and following also left their comfort zone long ago. They have to overcome many obstacles, suffer many losses and embrace a lot of pain before becoming world-class in their field. The skills they possess are the result of years of hard work, discipline, dedication and sacrifices they made. They have gone through failures, rejection, and injuries and suffered a lot of physical, mental and emotional pain to reach the height of their career. People recognize them only after they are successful but during their struggle, they were fighting alone. Everyone sticks to the one who succeeds and their story is heard by all. But when they were hustling very few were there to support and encourage them. After becoming famous they are provided everything but during their grooming period, they had to struggle for very little things. They had to practise every day for hours with faith and determination. Nobody knows whether they will be successful till they become. But those who don't quit are the ones who do it. According to the ten thousand hours rule, if a person works hard and sincerely for ten thousand hours or for ten hours on any field, skill or talent he or she becomes a master in that. So, genuine talent and success are not easy but take years of practice before becoming perfect and world-class. According to a new concept of epigenetics, it is found that a person can overcome their genetic weaknesses through consistent hard work. So, genetics cannot be an excuse for anybody to be the best in what they do or who they become.

By nature, every human-like to feels important, appreciated and to be in the limelight. For that many people are finding easy shortcuts to present themselves and get instant results. Social media is full of such pictures, reels and posts. But most of them are superficial, average or fake. That's why only one in lakhs succeed on such platforms. Those who succeed also worked hard and consistently for that. They are focused on developing their own content and improving themselves by learning from others and from their own mistakes. They don't waste time watching what others are doing and then comparing and competing with them. They find their own unique talent and path to success. They also follow a disciplined lifestyle and work on their craft regularly to come up with out-of-the-box content. Succeeding once in a while is not enough. One has to be consistent and persistent in their work. They have to keep improving and evolving with time. After years of good work, they are recognized and become successful.

So, to be successful one has to leave the comfort zone and embrace some discomfort. Every pain one suffers and survives makes him or her stronger and wiser. So, one should not try to avoid pain but rather take some consciously. For example, waking up early and exercising regularly seem to be painful in the beginning but the outcome is precious. To follow discipline, one has to give up some habits and adopt some new ones even if one does not like them. One has to eat consciously and sleep adequately to be physically and mentally fit. One has to learn and develop their skills regularly to succeed in their profession. One has to give up some luxuries and entertainment so that they can create some time and space for their hobbies, crafts and talents. One should start by taking small but consistent steps towards their goal from wherever they are and with whatever they have. Procrastinating will never let one accomplish anything. Greatest intentions and perfect plans are useless if one does not take action on it. Only by strong willpower and persistent hard work one can bring some difference in their life and the world. Life is a process of evolution one has to keep improving with time.

One will face many obstacles on the path toward success. There will be failures, heartbreaks, losses, rejections etc. These are tests of determination and strength. But one should have faith and never give up on their dreams. The future is unpredictable and full of surprises. So, it is useless to worry about it. One should utilize the present moment rightly and totally and the result will come out in time.

To achieve the success only a few people have achieved one has to choose a path and do things differently. When one does not follow the crowd, he or she becomes isolated, misunderstood, ridiculed and even tried to be stopped and discouraged. But one should have faith in himself or herself and never give up but keep advancing on the chosen path. One who continues despite all hurdles, pains and discomfort achieves their greatness eventually.

Those who follow the crowd remain a part of the crowd and live a usual average life. For those who choose a different road, it might be tough to reach new destinations. They show people new paths and opportunities. They become the torch bearers and leaders. Many follow in their footsteps to become successful.

So, one should give up comfort, entertainment and luxuries and embrace discipline and some discomfort to grow and develop. Growth lies beyond one's limits boundaries. One has to take a calculated risk and take some unknown paths to expand their limits. One should stop looking at what other people are doing or have achieved rather they should focus on self-improvement. Small consistent actions are better than big thinking. If one works hard, sincerely and rightly then they can achieve their goals. Rest and relaxation are necessary for the body and mind. Entertainment is also necessary to get rid of monotonous and anxious thoughts. These should be done in moderation and should not become an addiction. Otherwise, one will never find out his or her real potential and their greatness will remain dormant inside them. They will repent that when the time will pass and the people and the world will be deprived of their talents and skills.