The following is a modified excerpt from my new book
Choose Hard, Live Easy – The Art of War for Decision-Making
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(DEFCON: How Good/Bad Are Your Decisions?)
I wish someone had told me this when I was 20.
Back then, I was told that my comfort zone was my enemy. That, in order to grow, I always needed to be uncomfortable, to step out of my comfort zone.
Heck, this myth still persists today.
But it’s not true.
And here’s why.
Comfort zones aren’t meant to be broken, but stretched.
Here’s a novel way of looking at it.
Imagine your comfort zone as a small plastic bubble dropped in the middle of a five-star beach resort.
You’re stuck inside, fogging up the plastic, eyeballing absolute paradise. There’s a peaceful spa with the best massage therapist on earth, a hot tub bubbling with relaxation, a celebrity chef plating up Michelin-grade fare, an infinity pool bleeding into the ocean, and a Nicklaus-designed golf course waiting for your shank into the sand bunker.
But here’s the unsavory reality: you’re trapped in that tiny bubble, nose pressed against the thick plastic, drooling over a life you can’t actually touch. Stay “comfortable” in there, and you’re nothing but a glorified peeping tom in a cage, staring and wishing at what will never be yours.
Now, stretch that bubble. Over and over. The effort is temporary– a speech, a new skill, hitting the gym– and suddenly the bubble stretches, enveloping the amenities. Suddenly, the spa is yours. More stretches? Now you’re awash in weekly massages.
Stretch it again, and now you’re waist-deep in the infinity pool, sipping a salted margarita while ocean waves tickle your ears.
Give it one more agonizing push beyond your comfort limits and that plastic bubble expands. Now you’re dining on truffle risotto at the chef’s table. Every time you stretch, you unlock another one of the resort’s hidden treasures. Life gets richer, more luxurious, as if someone just tossed you the master key to the penthouse.
Everyone loves a smoking gun, so here it is:
- 👉 “Live Hard” persists in a tiny comfort zone.
- 👉 “Live Easy” unfolds in a sprawling one.
The paradigm shift? Your comfort zone is either a self-imposed prison or an expansive paradise. Like everything else in life, it’s your choice.
Self-help gurus love to paint the comfort zone as the ultimate villain. Breaking news: your comfort zone is not the enemy. Its small size is.
I can’t make it any clearer than this:
- Small comfort zone = Small life.
- Large comfort zone = Large life.
Discomfort isn’t a curse. It’s your vise, your lever, and your stretching weapon. It gets you the pricier luxuries.
Think about it. My first trip to the gym? Nerve-wracking. Now? It’s pie. My first podcast interview? A frantic shitshow. Now? A breeze. That first swig of a green health elixir? Blehhh. Gagworthy. Now I chug it, no problem.
You see, you don’t just survive discomfort; you’re stretching into a brand-new baseline. A new normal where a weekly massage isn’t just a fantasy reserved for billionaires– it’s your Tuesday.
As Roy Bennett said, “It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”
Refusing to push beyond your plastic walls leaves you stuck in the hotel janitor’s closet dreaming of the penthouse with the ocean view and the personal butler. Embrace those brief, intense bursts of discomfort and let them stretch those barriers into paradise, and turn your everyday life into the ultimate resort.
Get it done!
MJ DeMarco, Author/Entrepreneur
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