You have probably read here there and everywhere about how you will reach your peak performance, perform better, and be more productive when you are in the ZONE.

Today I’m going to talk to you about why you want to get OUT of the ZONE – and stay out!

I’m not talking about your performance zone though, I’m talking about your Comfort Zone.

Being the best that you can be is kind of like being a shark.  A shark must be constantly moving forward to eat, live, and survive.  To get the most out of your life you need to do the same.

I worked for years as a Sales Manager dealing with commissioned sales people in various professions.  And the Comfort Zone was, and is, a known phenomena in sales.  It explains why one salesperson consistently earned $25K/year, while another would consistently earn $50K/year.  The $50K sales person did NOT work twice as hard as the $25K sales person, she just had a different level of comfort.  Mr. 25-a-year knew exactly what he had to do every year to earn his $25K.  Mrs. 50-a-year also knew exactly what she had to do every year to earn her $50K.  As a sales manager, I would do everything I could to push my sales people out of their comfort zones, and get Mr. 25 to become Mr. 30 or at least Mr. 27-and-a-half.

I’m not your sales manager, so you have to be your own sales manager.  And by the way, this applies in all aspects of your life, not just in sales.

If you aren’t living the life of your dreams, why not? Chances are, whether you admit it or not, its because you are comfortable.

Yes, you may fuss and complain about this or that aspect of your life, but until your level of discomfort is greater than your current level of comfort, your life will not change.

That discomfort can come from a life event such as being fired from your job, quitting your job, a health issue, a divorce, or even the death of someone close to you.  This is also called a Shock.  Or, it could simply come from when you run out of time in this world, and end up six feet underground.  This is called the Shovel.

One way or another, your life will change.

It can be from the Shock or the Shovel, or it can be by Choice.

What are you doing with your life?

What do you want to do with your life?

What goals do you have for yourself?

How are you going to achieve them?

There are no easy answers, no fast results, but I can assure you that in order to get more, you have to become more.

Yes, I know, it is very comfortable on that couch.  Mmmm yeah.  Oh look American Idol is on.  May as well sit here for another hour.

You know what?

While you’re sitting on your butt watching TV, someone else is living a life you never dreamed about.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not picking on TV or American Idol, I’m just using this as an example.  Everyone needs some fun time or down time in their lives too.

But if that’s all your life is – that’s your choice.

Me, I’d rather push myself out of my Comfort Zone.

How about you?