Comfort zone = stable..safe…secure

or

Comfort zone = rut…routine…rote

Both of these equations are true. Some days we crave the security of our comfort zone – it means we don’t have to make as many decisions because we’ve already thought things through. It’s especially true when we’re running late, and we reach for that tried-and-true outfit to take us through the day. You’ve been there – we all have. It saves a lot of time and stress and serves us well.

Comfort zone can also mean we’re stuck in a rut or routine that we’re hesitant (afraid?) to break out of. This runs the gamut from bad habits to just being afraid to try a new hair style or make-up routine. In my work I see a lot of ladies who are stuck in a decade they’re no longer a part of – wearing the same make-up, for example, they wore in their 40’s and they’re now in their 60’s. It’s tough to let go of things that are comfortable and easy. But letting go and trying something new is when real growth happens.

For example, for years (from high school until my 40’s) I wore a version of this blond pageboy style. Talk about comfort zone! It was so easy – if I was having a bad hair day, I could just pull it back into a ponytail. No muss, no fuss.

It was all working well, until it wasn’t. During my 40’s I got my professional sea-legs, becoming more sure of myself in the world of marketing and advertising that I found myself in. All of a sudden I felt dated in my hair style. I remember I didn’t agonize over it very long. I talked to my hair stylist and we decided to go for a version that was short but not too drastic, to see how I liked it. In short order, I loved it. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to locate the picture album that version is stored in (yes, it was before our photos were stored on our phones and computers.)

Through the years since, I continued to go shorter and shorter (and blonder and blonder), and stuck with that look for a while. It’s the picture I use at the bottom of all my blogposts.

Now I’m playing with a slightly different version, more asymmetrical in nature (no photos yet – it’s not quite there.) The point is – I’ve gone and am going through what feels like constant metamorphosis these days. Maybe it’s because I’m at an age where I feel more confident jumping into change…I don’t know for sure. What I do know for sure is that change = growth. What are you doing these days to shake up your comfort zone?

Thanks for reading – stay stylish!

Adena