Staying in your comfort zone could be slowly killing you. That sounds pretty drastic. When you think about it, being in your comfort zone will mean that you will never discover your passion, accomplish goals, or find happiness. That sounds counterintuitive though. If you’re comfortable, doesn’t that mean you’re happy? It’s usually not the case. It may be even that you become less happy the longer you are in your comfort zone.

We usually stay in the same place of comfort because we don’t have the motivation to move. It’s the fear of discomfort that keeps us where we are. Here are reasons why you should take that chance and move into uncharted territory.

It’s How You Grow

I’m going to write something else that’s probably exaggerated. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Every step toward your potential is a step toward happiness. In order to progress, you have to move. There’s no other way around it. Growth is predicated on being more than what you are now. Everything you are not is outside of you. You can reach it yourself.

You Get to Try New Things

One of the biggest accomplishments we can have in life is discovering what we’re most passionate about. The next thing we can do is become an expert in our passion. Some people are luckier than others in this regard. Some find what they love to do at a young age, while others have to wait for that spark. For those who don’t know what they like to do, it’s going to take some exploration. It’s okay to even fail at the new thing you set out to do because, in that way, you’re eliminating the things you don’t have a passion for. If you stay in your comfort zone, there’s less likelihood that you will try anything new.

You Won’t Settle for Less

The more you snuggle into your comfort zone, the more that it starts to reflect in other aspects of life. Not only will you settle on your goals, but you may settle in relationships or situations that don’t serve you. This is the worst fate one can have in life. The fear becomes a reflex. Even when an opportunity presents itself, fear will pull you back into your comfort zone.

How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

And now, the juicy stuff. Don’t read this section thinking that this is going to be easy. The comfort zone is a very strong force. Stepping out is going to take habit-forming and patience. The trick to beating your comfort zone is to regularly step out of your comfort. In essence, being comfortable with being uncomfortable. The more you step out, the lower the resistance to taking any action. That’s not to take one giant leap like Neil Armstrong. You’re going to have to take steps. The first step is going to make you comfortable for the next step.