We are often told that we need to get out of our comfort zone to grow and achieve success.
That life doesn’t begin until things are scary and uncomfortable.
That the pathway to success needs to be risky, difficult, and riddled with failure along the way.
That you need to push yourself to the limit — and beyond — to realize your true potential.
But they have it wrong.
Getting out of your comfort zone is overrated.
In fact, understanding your comfort zone and leaning into it is where the real magic happens.
Your comfort zone is the sweet spot where you should be operating.
Tapping into your comfort zone is actually the route to greatness
The problem is that for most people, comfort zone is only an abstract feeling. You might know it when you’re in it, but you aren’t able to articulate it or pursue it.
You think things need to be hard to be successful.
But what if easy is the way?
You see, when things are easy for you, that means you are probably good at them.
And when you discover things that are easy for you, and hard for most other people, that is a competitive advantage.
That is the comfort zone I’m talking about.
You can build your life and career around your comfort zone, instead of struggling unnecessarily.
Why fight through stress and pain, when you can focus on the things that are naturally easy for you?
Of course if your comfort zone only includes watching TV or playing video games, you’ll likely need to do a bit more self-discovery.
And if you have glaring weaknesses that are clearly holding you back, you should take necessary steps to address them.
But you should be spending the majority of your time on the things that are easy for you and hard for others.
It is important to know what those things are and to maximize them.
When you are operating from your unique comfort zone, you will be most happy, confident, and productive.
You probably have a sense for what you do uniquely well, but if not, a good place to start is by taking one or more of the following assessments:
Yes, grit and perseverance will produce results.
But only up to a certain point.
Your unique comfort zone is the only path to greatness.
Your comfort zone is your superpower.
Tim Ferriss changed his life by asking the question, “What would this look like if it were easy?”
Ask yourself the same question, and you could change your life, too.
Andrew Merle writes about living well, including good habits for happiness, health, productivity, and success. Subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.