Break that zone

We all want success.  Let us not talk about it because ‘success’ may mean different things to you and me.  We all aspire to achieve something or other from time-to-time.  It can be starting an exercise regime, learning a new language, getting into or stopping a habit etc.  Sometimes there are external factors like people, climate etc. that hinders and makes the situation against our favour.  But many times an internal factor within us is the culprit. One such major internal factor is getting stuck in comfort zone.  

A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries….To step outside their comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviours, and then experience the new and different responses that occur within their environment.

Image courtesy:  Dolledup.ie

The good news is that it is simple to break and come out of comfort zone but the bad news is it is not easy !  Everything in life that we think worthy to aspire for, are available ONLY if we step out of comfort zones.  Recently, by chance, I broke my comfort zone (in one aspect of life!) without even realizing that I broke it.  Yes, it is so very subtle that some of us may not realize that we actually broke it.  Let me share my experience by explaining what happened to me exactly. 

Proud father I am, I do not want my son Sakthi to look at my pot belly and form an idea that it is normal for a man to be out of shape. Driven by this thought process, these days I am in a mission to lose weight and get back into shape.  I wanted something rigorous as my aim is to get results at the earliest.  Thanks to my personal trainer Nathan Gill at PersonalBest that I am progressing really well.  I am doing my sweat sessions over past three months, twice a week.  To give an idea about these well-researched workout sessions by PersonalBest, they are high intensity exercises designed to test one’s limits over 45 minutes duration.   And my track record is that I have always entered the gym doors, cribbing and moaning.     

 

Last week, something amazing happened that made an one eighty degrees turn to the way I used to look at the whole experience of physical training.  As the momentum picks up in the session, it gets ruthless in between 30 and 45 minutes.  I was in the rower at the peak of struggle between body and mind, when the body says ‘it’s paining’ and mind says ‘stop it’ and there came the thunder storm motivation line from Nathan ‘come on Sankar, get used to be uncomfortable’.  I was literally shocked internally, as I heard that sentence for the first time ever in my whole life.  I mean, nobody ever said it so explicitly that it's normal so get used to feel uncomfortable.  That one line made the world of difference.  Inspired by those words, I was able to push through my regular 5 km jogging sessions in the evening, effortless like a breeze!

Going a bit backward in time, I grew up in an environment where the objective of life is "live in comfort". Not to blame my family, society or anybody for that matter, at least that is the way my mind set was.  Those words from Nathan head-on challenged that deep rooted belief and disturbed the mental block carried for years together.  It took a while for me to understand and assimilate those words.  Mainly because it was subconsciously built into my mind that it is not OK to feel uncomfortable.  I am not talking about the basic necessities of life that comforts us like food, clothing and shelter.  I am talking about the next level when we have a burning hunger to grow and make a difference in whichever walk of life we decide to be in. 

Before breaking the zone

Exercise > pain/ out of breath  > feel uncomfortable > not enjoying (cribbing and crying)

After breaking the zone

Exercise > pain/ out of breath > feel uncomfortable > enjoying (stretching for more)

What are you waiting for !  Break that comfort zone today !!!