10 Ways to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Christians are called to lives of continual growth, but we often get in the way. What are some ways we can step outside of our comfort zones?

As Christians, we’re called to live a life of continual learning, change and self-improvement. But as humans, we have a tendency to get in the way of our own progress. We get comfortable with things as they are, and then we stagnate.

If we want to grow, one key is to get out of our comfort zones. But how can we do this? Let’s consider 10 ways we can overcome the hindrance of our comfort zones and jump-start our pursuit of growth. 

1. Recognize growth areas

Identifying areas where you need to grow isn’t always easy, but it is an essential step toward breaking out of your comfort zone. Try asking yourself questions that make you think about who you are now and who you want to be:

• “What are my strengths and weaknesses?”
• “Where can I grow?” 
• “What am I afraid of?”
• “What’s holding me back from being the person I want to be?”

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be better able to see what you’d like to improve. With added self-awareness, setting constructive goals for yourself becomes much easier.

2. Set goals for yourself

Goals are about more than simply wanting to accomplish something. If  we could instantly achieve what we desired, we’d probably all be millionaires, athletes and in perfect physical shape. What we desire to accomplish must be translated into clear, tangible, achievable goals. Specific planning and intentionality lead to consistent results.

A good goal leads you to discover places you’ve never been, types of people you’ve never interacted with and activities you’ve never done. This can be intimidating, but taking measured risks is important.

Challenge yourself to set goals that truly push you. Decide that you will get a bit better at that one thing you’re bad at. Say “yes” to an activity you’ve never seen yourself doing before. 

Setting a concrete goal for yourself can make it possible for you to make lasting changes in your life.

But it’s only one step.

3. Start with small steps

When pursuing goals, it can be easy to get overly excited and try to do everything all at once. This approach can end up being overwhelming and discouraging if you don’t immediately see dramatic results.

The truth is that lasting change takes time and patience. Taking consistent and measurable steps is the most sustainable way of experiencing growth. To accomplish a goal, try breaking it down into smaller and more manageable steps. 

Perhaps your goal is to travel the world. With such a big goal, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by its size and scope. Instead of taking it on all at once, sit down and list all the most straightforward solitary actions you can complete bit by bit. 

For instance, you might start with your home state or province and plan to visit places you’ve never been. Become a traveler. Buy a travel guide to a country you’ve never been to. Read and highlight locations that interest you. Start planning. It’s a far cry from flying across the world, but you’re one step closer than yesterday.

There is nothing wrong with starting small.

Smaller steps make it easier to see your progress over a period of time. Eventually, you’ll be able to look back and see where you were, how far you’ve come and how much work you have left to reach your goal.

You’ll want to see change immediately, but consistent small steps can often take you farther than a solitary giant leap.

4. Develop a growth mindset

What happens when you encounter setbacks? What if you fail? 

How will you react?

When you fail, don’t give up. It’s crucial to have a mindset that keeps you moving forward. In other words, don’t allow yourself to become discouraged.

Pessimism fosters excuses that avoid the challenge. It ultimately anticipates giving up when encountering a stumbling block.

Don’t view failures as reasons to seek shelter back in your comfort zone.

Take the example of the apostle Peter. On the night of Jesus’ trial, Peter denied his Master three times. In those three moments, he failed. But realizing his errors, he repented, picked himself back up and moved forward toward his goal of being a fruitful and faithful disciple. He eventually grew to become one of the most influential leaders in the first-century Church.

Peter could have given up and returned to the life he’d lived before his calling; plenty of others would have. Instead, he spent the rest of his life moving forward from that moment. Peter ultimately refused to deny his Master again, even at the expense of his own life when the time came.

Your setbacks may not be as dramatic as denying Jesus Christ. But if Peter could continue moving forward from that level of failure, we can move forward from ours. 

5. Break bad habits

Our comfort zone usually includes regular habits that are consistent throughout our life. A habit, by definition, is something that is done regularly without much conscious thought. 

This is why bad habits are so dangerous. Once we become comfortable with a habit, it becomes ingrained in our lives. We may fail to examine and consider whether we should be doing it, repeating it simply because that’s what we’ve always done.

We need to examine the common practices we maintain in our lives, identifying both those that are helpful and those that are holding us back from reaching our goals.

For instance, people wanting to improve their social life might discover they have a habit of checking their phone when a conversation slows down. They may barely recognize this habit, yet this nervous tendency immediately creates a conversational barrier and may offend others.

After recognizing what is not helping us, we have two options: stay comfortable or work to improve.

Christians should always work to improve themselves. Paul wrote about the lifestyle of continual overcoming that Christians should have: “Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22).

We must remove things from our lives that we may have gotten used to over time. It won’t be comfortable, but it is absolutely necessary for fulfilling our Christian calling.

For more on breaking bad habits, check out our blog post “10 Bad Habits You Need to Break (With a Twist).”

6. Build good habits

Breaking bad habits is only the beginning. We must then replace those old habits with good habits. 

Ephesians 4 continues: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (verses 23-24, emphasis added).

An old adage says the best way to get air out of a glass is to fill it up with water! If we spend our time, energy and thoughts on constructive, positive practices, we leave little opportunity for bad habits to creep back in.

Write down a list of positive habits you’d like to build into your life, then devise strategies to incorporate them into your routine. Coming out of your comfort zone is all about consistent personal growth achieved by forming positive habits.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become” (p. 38).

You have the choice—choose!

7. Grasp new opportunities

Sometimes, we close doors for ourselves too quickly without fully exploring the opportunities behind them. 

When faced with a new opportunity, we can automatically think, “That wouldn’t work out” or “That isn’t for me.”

We can become the most significant barrier to our own growth without realizing it. There is a simple answer to this problem: 

Say “yes”!

Make it a practice to accept and pursue good opportunities when they arise. Imagine you’re invited to join a debate team or speech club. If you’d normally automatically say “no,” try saying “yes” instead. You might find that you have a talent for public speaking. Or you may find you can build that skill over time. There’s no telling how much you can achieve when you’re willing to try something new—something that might scare you at first. 

You may find yourself with the opportunity to learn something brand-new. Test those unfamiliar waters. You might have a natural ability you never discovered before. You might even unlock a new passion.

Even if you find it’s not up your alley, at least you tried something new and gained a new experience while learning more about yourself in the process. 

Don’t close the door. Step through it.

8. Change your environment

Our physical environment or routines can be a blanket of familiarity and keep us comfortable. We widen our perspective by changing things up. 

Don’t be content to stay in the same place doing the same thing all the time. Try exploring different places by setting aside a weekend to visit a new city or go on a camping trip. Fresh changes in scenery can help you think differently, which can lead to incredible personal growth.

This also applies to your social environment. Instead of exclusively hanging out with the same group of friends, try to meet new people and widen your social circle. This will help bring different perspectives to your life, and you’ll likely find yourself with many new opportunities to step outside that pesky comfort zone.

Unsure how to do this? There are ways to make it easier to meet new people. Consider these ideas:

• Look for those who share common interests or hobbies.
• Ask your friends to introduce you to their friends.
• Try new environments with people who will help you grow.

9. Serve others

Serving others is a great way to break free from an overly inward focus and instead consider others’ needs and what we can do to help them.  

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.”

Going out of your way to focus on others’ needs isn’t always comfortable and easy—but that can be very good for us. Sacrificing your time and energy is an excellent way to serve and love others.

See our blog post “What Is the Meaning of John 15:13: ‘Lay Down One’s Life’?”

10. Follow God’s lead

All of these things can be difficult to do on your own—so don’t! 

Instead of doing it alone, include God. 

Ask Him for opportunities and courage to take those first steps. Go to Him in times of discouragement and walk through the doors He opens for you. Let Him guide you through this entire process.

As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (New Living Translation).

Comfort zones are about wanting to control our lives by minimizing risks. But holding on too tightly and trusting in ourselves limits what God can do with us. When we learn to loosen our grasp and trust God, He opens doors we would have never imagined.

Be open to opportunities God has in store for you to grow and step outside your comfort zone.