As I have said before, I am a creature of habit.  I like my routines.  Even though I am a horrible dancer, my routines are well choreographed.  Each step is purposeful and allows me to roll through my daily tasks.  When I was working my “real job”, having a routine as a framework allowed me to hone my multi-tasking skills, which served me well. 

On any given day there are times life gets in the way and I stumble. 

Okay.  There are many times I stumble.

Given I have a routine, I can get myself back on course…even if I get derailed every other day!

If my usual routine is like a well-oiled machine, what can be bad about that?  Technically, there is nothing “bad” about it.  However, it can be limiting.

In my fitness training, if I did the same workout each time, my body would adapt to that routine and would not change.  It would not get bigger or smaller, depending on my goal.  I would be stuck in a rut.  So my fitness routine is to get a certain number of hours of exercise each week, and add variety to keep my body moving in different ways.

When I look at the rest of my life like I do my fitness training, I ask myself this question:

Am I stuck in a rut?

Sometimes, yes.  I move in the same ways, with no variety.

I fall into my comfort zone.

My comfort zone makes me feel safe and secure.  I dance my dance, the lists get checked, and the days move by.  This gives me a feeling of satisfaction.

However, there is a dark side to the comfort zone.

To quote a dear friend during a recent conversation: “Comfort zones do not have any room for growth.”

How true!

Reflecting back on life, I realize there are many things that have contributed to my personal (and professional) growth.  Willingness to learn something new, being part of a team that exposed me to different mindsets, or a problem that needed solved all shifted me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow.

Painful situations such as loss of a cherished relationship, illness or injury, and death of loved ones have all pushed me well outside of my comfort zone, but have left me with experience that has helped me become a better version of me.

This week I have taken a hard look at my comfort zone. 

I am not going to give it up, as I need a safe place to return for balance.  However, I am committed to pushing myself to situations outside of the safe boundaries so I can continue to grow into better versions of me.

I will continue to try new things and learn new skills.  I may not be perfect out of the gate, which is NOT a comfortable feeling.  The slight discomfort is my reminder that I am growing.  Growing pains.  Ha!  Who would have thought I could have growing pains at my age?

My goal will be to dance between my comfort zone and growing pains.  There is balance there.  It may take some time, but I will find it.

A better version of me is there.