And while it sounds all well and good when someone says “get out of your comfort zone”, it’s easier said than, am I right? Sometimes the idea of trying something new sounds too intimidating, too much work, or just doesn’t sound much fun at all. But how will you know till you try?
One of the things Rich and I are trying to do is to eat healthier. And for Rich more than myself, this means getting out of the comfort zone…
A LOT!
Now, I have to hand it to the hubby, he’s actually very good about trying the recipes I make. I don’t get too much nose-wrinkling, narrowed eyes, or crossed arms. And he pretty much enjoys everything I make. Which is a blessing for me since I am one of those mean wives that won’t cook different meals for the two of us
One of the things we have done is to decrease red meat. Not that we ate a ton of it or anything. And what we did eat was venison and elk. But there’s always room for improvement. We also decided to cut WAY back on processed carbs. Although I will still have to have my Velveeta Shells & Cheese. I dream about the stuff, I kid you not! Anyway, I searched the internet and came across this funny sounding alternative for carbs: quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah).
And the very first link I came to in a Google search is a GOLDMINE of delicious recipes for the quinoa newbie. This lovely woman also details how to cook the quinoa to perfection. I have tried several of the recipes (quinoa pancakes and quinoa/blackbean burgers) and they are awesome! Super tasty, super filling, and super good for you! And while it was nerve-wracking shopping for the various ingredients (quinoa itself, quinoa flour, nutritional yeast), the local Vitamin Cottage had everything I needed to start on this new journey of healthier eating.
So much in this little bitty quinoa grain!
However, one day, I got this idea for another series. This time, the main character seemed to be a teenager. *facepalm*. I never read teen/YA when I was that age and have not really read a ton of it in my adult life (Harry Potter being the exception of course!!!).
Well, I delved right in before researching it properly and ended up having to do some pretty serious re-writes. I had a lovely lady who was an agent for YA books read through the first bit of Dangerous Reflections and she gave me some invaluable advice! You can read all about it here. But if I hadn’t gotten out of my scifi/fantasy comfort zone, Alexis Davenport would have been relegated to some back corner of my mind instead of fighting an evil bastard trying to change the past! And as anyone who knows anything about time travel knows, changing the past can be VERY bad. Thank goodness we have Alex, eh?
What about you? What have you done to get out of your comfort zones? Is it merely changing a routine? Taking dancing lessons when you have three left feet ( I suffer from this affliction)? Switching genres in your reading and writing? I’d love to hear from you!
Hmmm…well, to start with your fitness theme, back in October I started the Jillian Michaels’ videos. I’ve always done cardio – running or whatever – but I HATED weights. Until I started Jillian. Now, I have muscles and can do push-ups and LOVE the power of my own body!
With writing, my second book Justified is a crime novel. Mike actually gave me the idea for it, and I was terrified. I could do YA (and may one day), and I can do women’s fiction. Easy. (Well, not easy, but you know what I mean). But crime? Watching TV and reading crime novels does not make me an expert in procedure and stuff. But I did it, and those who have read it love it!
Reading, I’ve totally gone out of my comfort zone. I’ve come to LOVE YA, I love the newest genre dystopian. I never really read that stuff until I had friends who wrote it, and now I love it. Still not big on fantasy or scifi, but I give it a shot once in awhile b/c you never know!
3 years ago I took up martial art lessons. Tae Kwon Do is constantly challenging me to get out of my comfort zone. I’ve done things I never would have thought possible as a kid: contact sparring, breaking techniques, falling techniques, competed in tournaments (nothing special–just competed against the other gyms in our club and another school). I’ve even starting to learn how to use nunchucks. (I own a full set. They’re a lot of fun when you don’t hit yourself with them!)
My recent challenges are blogging and writing. I’ve recently started my WIP, a YA novel, and I’m trying to become a freelance writer. I’m terrified of all three things.
As for reading I will eventually be branching out into fiction and mystery. My comfort zone is usually YA and science fiction and fantasy.
My biggest out-of-zone experience lately has been my commitment to blog every single day, even if I don’t touch my WIP. It has been a very difficult thing to keep up with (over the conference, I made it by seven minutes on Saturday!), but it’s been so rewarding in regards to my self-discipline and motivation.
I want to get back to my workout routines, but my schedule is so nuts that writing is about all I can squeeze in. That and Fruit Ninja on the Kinect.
Comfort zone? What’s a comfort zone??
I have so many discomfort zones that finding something I feel really happy with isn’t easy. I loved writing my Artesans of Albia series but it was the first “proper” thing I’d written, so it was all new and terribly exciting. Then I branched out into non-fiction with my book about how we cared for our disabled Dalmatian, Daisy. Boy, was that uncomfortable to write! Cathartic, though…
Now I’m having to master the art of self-promotion and this is my biggest challenge yet. How best to do it, where to do it, how often to do it… Yeesh! I don’t have a clue.
Thank goodness there’s still chocolate in the world. Curling up on the sofa with a warm dog (or two!), a good book and a bar of yummy chocolate – yes, life doesn’t get more comfortable than that! Until you have to buy bigger sized jeans, of course
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Congrats on the quinoa!. My Man and I are pretty adventurous when it comes to food. But recently we discovered gourmet mushroom kits – and we are not growing shitakes and they are infinitely tastier fresh-picked than store-bought.
Getting out of my comfort zone — talking to people I don’t know! LOL … Even leaving a comment is a serious stretch of comfort for me. And it’s rarely that I don’t have anything to say or contribute. I’m just not sure anyone would want to know what I think. Great job on trying new foods. That’s a whole other comfort zone for me!
I’m with Carrie – commenting on blogs is getting out my comfort zone. Just putting myself out there is getting out of my comfort zone! Lately, my biggest push is through travel – putting myself in a foreign country where I don’t know the language is both totally thrilling and completely nerve wracking.
Good for you on branching out and trying new foods! As a vegetarian who was raised on meat-and-potatoes meals in the Midwest, I have really enjoyed exploring new foods over the last 2 decades. There’s a whole world of amazing foods out there that are healthy and tasty. Keep trying new things and keep an open mind. (It also doesn’t hurt to have some good cookbooks and websites. I’m happy to recommend some if you’d like.)
I’m like Carrie — talking to strangers at social functions totally yanks me out of my comfort zone!
And good for you getting rid of the processed carbs. We ditched processed food last summer and feel soooo much better!