How to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone

I had an idea that I was recently speaking with a friend about. The only problem was, I didn’t have strong conviction with my words, my intention was weak and I didn’t even know if I really wanted what I was sharing with her, to actually happen.

You know those times when you talk about ideas, dreams or fantasies that sound great—but if they came true, you’d be scared AF? Like, quitting a job you can’t stand and finally starting your dream biz, going on a solo trip somewhere exotic or maybe even meeting the love of your life?

All these things sound exciting, but if we aren’t 100 per cent certain that we want them to come true, we’ll find a way to sabotage ourselves and the idea will remain what it is—a fantasy that never happens.

So, when my friend said to me, “Tonia, do you really want to make this happen? Because if you do, you’ll have to put your energy into making it real,” I realized I had a choice. I could continue to talk about it (without conviction or clear intention) or I could take action and manifest it into reality.

What I was talking about was going to Sardinia, Italy, for a personal growth (and a heck of a lot of fun!) workshop. The event hosts a few hundred people, who are doing "cool" things around the world, and we attend workshops on new, progressive ideas, we get out of our comfort zones and we go to over-the-top theme parties at night. My resistance was the economic investment and time away from work. The blue wig and other social boundaries, I’m pretty open with—to an extent! After giving it more thought, I decided that I did indeed want to go, and that I would make the rest work for me, instead of against me.

As soon as I made this choice, everything changed. I found a half-priced ticket, I signed on my first corporate client into YuSchool, the course got recognized as a government-funded program and I found a few new ways to generate income. I know it can be scary to break out of your comfort zone and face the unknown—but remember, the fear you’ll have to face today will be much less tragic than the regret of never following your dreams. This goes way beyond attending a workshop—I’m talking about conquering your BIG dreams. That said, here are three tips on how to break out of your comfort zone and get what you want:

tip #1. Decide if you actually want what you say you do. Is this something that just sounds nice, or do you really want it to happen? Are you ready for it to come into your life? And will you do what you need to do to start the process?

tip #2. Believe it will happen. Remember, you become what you believe. Your thoughts are very powerful, so do your best to tell yourself positive words and affirmations. You deserve to make your dreams a reality.

tip #3. Take ACTION. Do what you gotta do to make what you want real. It’s not just going to happen if you sit back and wait for it. Make the calls, talk to people, do the work—and be consistent! Then, let it go. Don’t attach yourself to the outcome. You’ve done the work, now release and surrender and leave room for serendipity to happen.

Once you’ve tried this out, I’d love to hear how this breaking out of your comfort zone practice was for you! And, if you want to get unstuck, and start embracing your WHOLE self, let’s have a chat! I’m currently offering free, 30-minute breakthrough coaching sessions. Book your free breakthrough call now! —Tonia Mattu

Tonia Mattu is a certified life coach, author, founder of YUOLOGY, and creator of YuSchool: a six-week life design framework that teaches confidence and clarity in service of building a dream life. Read her full personal story (trust us, it’s incredible!), download her free 3-part Guided Visualization series or take advantage of a special fall registration price of just $99 per month for her game-changing six-week YuSchool course now! Learn much, much more at yuology.com and @toniamattu_yuology.