Everybody knows how to say it. “You’ve get out of your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens.”

But it’s always so easy to say it.

It’s the doing that is actually hard. Starting to get out of your comfort zone is easy. It’s what happens after that when it gets scary. That’s when you even question yourself if it was a good idea in the first place.

The comfort zone and outside of it is tricky. This what you need to know.

1) You’ve to raise your standards

Are you still doing the same old things? Are you practicing your craft within bearable range? Are you aiming for a goal you know you can achieve in the first place?

If you answered yes to any of the above, your standards are too low. And when they’re too low, it means it’s still too comfortable.

You’ve to raise your standards. You must do things out of the ordinary and aim for goals or milestones never thought achievable.

And it will never end. The standards need to always go up. Keep pushing yourself.

2) You’ve to change your lifestyle

Are you still eating the same old, fried crap?

Are you getting enough sleep? Or are you sleeping abnormal hours?

Are you just “going with the flow” hoping for something good to happen when deep down you aren’t really sure what you’re doing?

Drastic lifestyle changes must be made. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s the point. You can’t get great results if you think they should happen “somehow” and fit into your currently lifestyle.

You only get the results when you work for it!

3) You’ve to get rid of some friends and then feel awkward around new people

That means to say, you need to weed out the toxic ones.

Regardless of the number of years you’ve known each other, the memories you have or that you think they’ve changed, it is a must to get rid of the negative influences in your life. Some friendships simply don’t last forever.

If you want to get out of your comfort zone, then start by surrounding yourself with new, positive people.

But be warned, it’s going to feel awkward at first. Imagine going to a new country and making new friends with the locals there.

You never know what you’re going to get next, but be strong and be positive. The right people who belong in your life will come along.

4) You’ve to be extremely honest and stop coming up with lame excuses

Excuses are the bane of everybody’s existence. They are plentiful and easy to use.

Now, are you always coming up with excuses? Are you doing it to avoid asking yourself the honest, but terrifying questions?

Great things happen outside of the comfort zone, but only to great people. And great people know themselves perfectly. They don’t create lame excuses to justify their shortcomings.

They only make changes to constantly improve.

5) You’ve be mentally prepared for things to not work out

Or not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

No venture or endeavor plays out like you thought it would or what others taught you.

Things WILL go wrong. You WILL fail. And you WILL hit a point where you feel like giving up.

That’s how it is outside the zone. The magic happens there, but well, so does a lot of nasty spells.

Stay strong and don’t give up. You already left the zone. It’d be shame to come back.

6) You’ve to shield yourself from others’ lack of understanding

And it can be harsh. That is when people criticize, lambaste, tease or even attack you.

Mostly, they just don’t understand why you do what you do. They only understand the conventional path laid out for them. And when people do not dare to venture out, they attack what they don’t understand.

Ignore them. You’ve to be strong, alone. Keep working hard and eventually you’ll earn them respect and admiration.

7) You’ve to feel the fear and do it anyway

Thus is the entire point of getting out of your comfort zone.

You’re going to feel scared, anxious, afraid, filled with fear and even depressed. You’re going to want to turn around and feel safe again.

But the scary feelings only mean that you’re going in the right direction.

You can’t turn back. You’ve to get used to it. You’ve to grow up and harden yourself.

That is how you eventually align your new self with the rewards that will come for you.

That is how the magic works.