Breaking the Comfort Zone: The Challenge (and Reward) of Trying New Things

For the past couple of years, I’ve enjoyed a blissful life away from the mess and noise of social media. No endless scrolling, no pressure to post, no algorithm deciding what I should care about. And honestly? It was freeing. But pitching and announcing Get Out has meant stepping back into that world — and it’s been hard.

Finding the right balance between being visible and staying sane still escapes me. Some days, I’m fully in it, engaging, posting, sharing. Other days, I want to throw my phone into the Derwent River and live off the grid.

And yet, I know I have to keep going. Because if I want Get Out to thrive, I have to practice what I preach — pushing past discomfort, trying new things, and choosing action over avoidance.

Why We Avoid What’s Hard

Trying something new — especially something we’re bad at — is uncomfortable. The frustration of not being instantly good at something, of fumbling and failing, is painful. Our brains literally process failure like physical pain. No wonder we’d rather stick to what we know.

But here’s the thing: avoiding discomfort doesn’t help us grow. It just keeps us stuck. And if we’re not careful, we shrink our own world to avoid the risk of embarrassment, failure, or even just mild discomfort.

I’ve been feeling this myself. Stepping back into social media has been a mix of awkwardness, resistance, and moments of why am I doing this again? But here’s what I remind myself: the goal isn’t to be perfect at it. The goal is to show up.

Failing Forward: The Secret to Growth

Research shows that struggling with something new can actually make you better at what you’re already good at. Arthur C. Brooks wrote about how failing at one skill (like, say, speaking a second language in public) can make you sharper in others.

Think about it: when you bomb a new workout class, you don’t suddenly become bad at walking. But you do build resilience. You learn to keep going, even when you look ridiculous. And that carries over into everything else.

So why not embrace the awkward? Why not get comfortable with being bad at something for a while?

The Real Challenge: Choosing Action Over Avoidance

Most of us know that getting outside our comfort zone is good for us. But knowing and doing are two different things.

We say we want to make new friends but avoid social events.
We say we want to be more present but get lost in our phones.
We say we want to put ourselves out there but wait for the ‘right time’ to start.

The truth? There’s no right time. There’s just now.

And the difference between a life of growth and a life of regret is what we choose to do with that ‘now.’

So, What’s One Thing You Can Do?

Maybe it’s signing up for a new class you’ve been avoiding. Maybe it’s going to that event solo instead of backing out last minute. Maybe it’s finally posting that thing you’ve been overthinking for weeks.

Whatever it is — do it. Not because it’ll be easy. Not because you’ll be instantly great at it. But because pushing through discomfort is how we grow.

And at the end of the day, isn’t that what life is about?