Getting Outside the Comfort Zone

Go onto a writer's board and you'll see people looking for sources (sometimes even quoting writers with whom they have an acquaintance) or asking a host of different questions. No doubt that there are experts in various subjects to be found among writers, but getting the quick answer is often not the wisest decision.

It's an example of people operating inside their comfort zone. The same thing comes into play when writers shy away approaching new sources or editors. They may come up with a host of reasons, but they generally boil down to three: discomfort, fear, and wanting an easy answer.

I can understand the temptation, but it's a dangerous habit. When you stay inside the comfort zone, you are really reacting to a host of nameless fears nibbling at the edges of your psyche. You also teach yourself that comfort is your primary concern.

Neither is necessary, and there is a way to start breaking the cycle, though it's not a comfortable option. You start experimenting with doing the exact thing that bothers you. In other words, talk to strangers, approach editors, and do research for answers.

Consider what bothers you most - whether it's having to spend extra time or approach someone who might be hostile. Now assume that the absolutely worst will happen and do it anyway. It's like jumping into lake, except that you know the lake is really going to be cold for a few seconds. Often our fear of others is baseless, and for those few times that it's not, things will be over in a short time anyway. If things went terribly, you never have to deal with the person again.

The reason to do so is to remove the shackles of psychological slavery. Most of our weaknesses seduce us, but fear enslaves and tosses its victims into a dark locked room. Every time you do a small something that you fear, you loosen its grip. The benefits are enormous and will echo throughout every part of your life.