There’s a well known saying by Jim Rohn that states We are the average of the 5 people we spend most time with.
These five friends are the one’s that help define our comfort zone, in fact we have a shared comfort zone with all of them.
Now whilst this might not be a limitation, it does require that someone in the group is challenging the edges comfort zone, that someone is looking to push the group further, either through shared endeavours or by inspiring the group by their actions and achievements.
If you’re the one that is leading that, then you potentially have a problem, as the group you have could actually hold you back. They share their fears and their concerns which can then become your fears and concerns and get you to go back into your comfort zone.
To achieve our full potential we need to be challenged, inspired and the people that are best placed to do that are the 5 people we spend most time with.
When I started marathon running the 5 people who I spent most time with told me I was crazy. But as they could see I was committed and they decided to join me, they let me expand our collective comfort zone, and I actually completed my first two marathons with them.
We were all excited to achieve that goal, we had a great sense of achievement, but for us that was the edge of our comfort zone. Yes a marathon had extended it but we didn’t really want to go much further.
Then 4 months ago I just a local running group, and in that group here are several ultra marathon runners, and they have run races from 50km to 100 miles. For them that’s their comfort zone, and now as I spend more time with them, I start to ask myself why not run a longer race myself, why not push my comfort zone even further, to be closer to theirs.
So I am now thinking about doing a 50km race, that would be my first ultra marathon. I don’t have a date yet and I haven’t started training in earnest, but my new circle of running friends are supportive, they see it as well with my capability, they see that my comfort zone can easily be extended further.
Our comfort zone is not our friend, its a prison for our ambitions. We should be looking to constantly challenge the boundaries because the big goals we want to achieve are all outside that zone.
If you want to achieve more, but find yourself stuck, check out the 5 people closest to you, the ones that you spend more time with. Are they pushing their own limits, challenging themselves or are the happy and content to stay where they are? How do they react when you propose a new bold goal, are they supportive, or do they give you 101 reasons as to why it won’t work, why you will fail and why it’s better to not even bother trying.
If their attitude is the latter, then not only is your comfort zone a prison for your ambition, but your closest fiends are the guards of that prison.
If you’re looking for help to improve your performance or get out of your comfort zone call us on +1 561 50§ 0888 to arrange a free 30 minute strategy sessions. Thanks
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