In my last article, I discussed the idea that complacency leads to mediocrity. In choosing to be complacent, we are depriving ourselves of growth opportunities.
In my 33 years of life, I have never met someone who didn’t want to become better at something – even just one facet of their life. These areas include everything from being a better spouse, a more engaged employee, a stronger person of faith, a healthier person, or a better person at a specific task.
Think about your life.
Is there an area in which you have always wanted to be better?
Hell, you might have even set some goals for yourselves at the beginning of the year. The objective of any goal is to move beyond a current state and into another, and as a result to be a better you.
Becoming a better you is not something that anyone can do for you. It’s in our own hands, and something we must have control over. There are no circumstances or exceptions preventing us from achieving what it is we’re after, however, there are excuses.
The panacea for making it all happen isn’t in my hands, nor will you find it in the words to follow. The answer to making it happen lies within each of our desires to need to make it happen. Not because we should change or want to change, but again because we need to because you we it will be a catalyst for opportunities to come our way.
People who are willing to change, and are yearning to grow, are people who want something more. These are the people who understand that complacency breeds mediocrity. And these are the people that choose instead to keep their life under construction – always building and always growing.
I like to think of being under construction within the boundaries of three zones.
Zone 1 – Comfort: People who choose to live in this stage choose the road that’s already been traveled – the one where the pavement leads directly to a destination. Decisions are easy because, well, the easy path is always chosen. The comfort zone allows us to make it through the day being perfectly content with what we're are doing – never choosing to do more or less – but always just enough. At the end of the day, it’s easier for these people to stay the course than to be challenged on a different route.
Zone 2 – Growth: As mentioned before, individuals who have a desire to be better at something, know deep down that they are going to have to work hard to reach it (most of the time). In this zone, decisions are often hard, rejection can creep in, and struggles are present. However, it is only through conquering these hardships that you become better at whatever it is you are doing. This is what it means to experience growth.
Zone 3 – Panic: Thinking, speaking, listening, and acting without purpose, people living in the panic zone rarely have direction. These people know there is something out there they should be doing, but they don’t know where to even begin, let alone what it is they are supposed to be doing. While it’s okay to not be sure what you are working towards, it doesn’t do anyone justice to move about aimlessly making irrational decisions just to be doing something.
There it is – comfort, growth, and panic. Which one resonates with your life? How long have you been there? Does it feel good in that zone? Do you think your life would be any different if you were somewhere else?
Are you ready to be a better you?
So, what happens when you find yourself going about your day with enthusiasm, passion, and purpose? To be quite honest, it will be damn hard. You will experience the full gamut of emotions – frustration, excitement, anger, joy, stress, relief, sadness and exuberance. There will even be days that you want to quit.
Experiencing all of these emotions isn’t common among people who live by the status quo. Why? Because living in the comfort zone minimizes risk, prevents hardship, and limits your exposure to danger grow.
And the people living in panic? They often experience the extremes of the spectrum – the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Fearful of the bottom falling out from underneath any second, but also disillusioned by the possibility of reaching the ‘perfect’ circumstances. Why? Because there is no plan when living in the panic zone. It becomes a mentality of ‘what do I need in this moment’.
But, the result of living in growth?
You get to do life. You get to do something that builds yourself up so that you can build into others around you.
And finally, the result of building into others?
You become a better you and make those around you better people. Find an uncomfortable seat – one that has you on the edge and peering out looking for something more.
Determine what is possible.
Start today.