What is the Comfort Zone?
Let me clarify: comfortable does not equal content. It means being able to take control of the situation like you’ve been there before. It means being able to make decisions with a clear head, stay true to your purpose and values, act with a strategy, and change the situation the way you want. And changing the situation equals getting out of the comfort zone.
In my experience, the only way I was able to improve my coxing was by continually striving to become better, and by better, I mean uncomfortable. The process of continual improvement is equally exhausting as it is rewarding, and it is so worth it. For coxing, the responsibilities that the role entails have had a significant impact on my mindset and personality, giving me the ability to always be thinking two steps ahead.
In a later post, I will go into more detail about these areas, but here is a list of the biggest “how to get comfortables” I could think of, that I’ve been able to overcome over the last 8 years, when I first started this sport as 14 year old. Some are rowing specific, and some are relevant in everyday life.
How to get comfortable speaking in the microphone
How to get comfortable with receiving constant feedback and critique
How to get comfortable being competitive when you just want to be friends
How to get comfortable when being singled out for your mistakes
How to get comfortable for taking responsibility for things that go wrong even when it’s not your fault
How to get comfortable not taking credit for things that go right
How to get comfortable with with stressful and high pressure situations and still maintain a competent and calm demeanor
How to get comfortable being moved out of a fast boat
How to get comfortable with uncertainty
How to get comfortable with losing
How to get comfortable balancing coaches’ expectations and rower’s needs