As I sit here counting down the minutes until the course begins, that inner voice starts in my head. That inner voice that all of us seem to have, it’s just that we each hear it on such different levels. I feel like this voice has been going since I booked this trip in some way or another. But right now, well man, it is next level! It is at me strong today and then that makes my stomach tie in knots and make my body say, ‘You just cannot do this’.
It is cool and calm on the streets of Orange County and people are just going about their normal Saturday morning routines. The sun is shining and there is a light crisp coolness to the air. It is what some would call a perfect spring morning. And I am sitting here prepping myself, using all of my learnt tools trying to overcome this noise in my head. I am getting ready to learn something new, be pushed well out of my comfort zone and be challenged more than I can ever imagine. Da Rulk is a guy I have admired as a trainer through social media channels and today he is going to teach me what he knows. I am pumped but at the same time quietly shitting myself.
Not that any woman likes to share her age, but I am lucky enough to be 33. Just an age I know, but this thing called a comfort zone never really existed 8 years ago like it does today. At 25, I had no hesitation at all to get out there and try anything new and even kind of craved being thrown into the deep end of things. And to be honest, I still find now that I thrive much better under pressure than just cruising through my days. When I think of it like that, at what age and for what reasons in life do we allow this thing called a comfort zone get out of hand? When does it begin to build up so much that things like going to a new gym class or meeting new people make you sweat hours before you are even there?
Take Day 1 in Los Angeles, I was nervous about exploring a new city. Honestly Rachel, you have explored cities all over the world solo and now because of this thing called a comfort zone, something you used to love so much seems to be an insurmountable challenge.
Move onto Day 2 in Los Angeles and Rumble Boxing! This is a gym that I have absolutely loved watching from afar as their only gyms are based in the states. So, I am finally here, and I am going to tackle a new class at a new gym with new people. And in a new city. I have never done any of this in my life before. Let me tell you, ‘The Comfort Zone’ was well and truly pushed! As I lay in bed that same morning, I was coming up with every excuse in my head not to go. All this noise in my head because I just wanted to go and try out a new gym class in a foreign city.
Now on Day 3, I sit here and question myself as to why I am now in Orange County and whether I will be good enough to get through this course with one of my fitness idols. I am telling you the sweat is pouring and I haven’t even made it to the gym yet.
This leads me to question, why do we allow this thing called a comfort zone dictate so much in our lives as we grow and evolve as humans? We are allowing this thing called a comfort zone to make us feel so uncomfortable that we then opt out of things that we would normally love to do. What in our lives change so much that this comfort zone gets so big that we at times do not know how to get ourselves out of it?
I will go today and do this fitness course as I did not fly 13 hours to get here and bail on something I am so excited about. But just know this, sometimes with us being so entrenched in our deep comfort zones, there is really only one thing to do. Claw yourself to the top, pull yourself over the edge and jump head first. As my Mum said, “What have you really got to lose?”
And from me to you, ‘It only takes one second to be brave’.
Happy pushing on those comfort zones peeps, we are all in it together. Get out of your comfort zone and go get whatever it is you’ve been wanting!
R xx