The Dead Zone....errr, I Mean Comfort Zone

I was told once that HVAC techs called the thermostat settings between 69 & 72 degrees as the 'dead zone'. It's the most common setting all the time. It's the setting where the A/C or heater doesn't have to work.

One day, I had this revelation of how human behavior can be similiar to A/C and heaters, but instead of the dead zone, we call it our comfort zone, and here's how it works.

We all have a comfort zone. ALL of us. A place, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually where we are comfortable. No conscious thinking involved, we're on autopilot in these zones. We just get to 'hang out.'

Now, when the temperature inside a home goes outside the dead zone settings, the system turns on and works JUST LONG ENOUGH to get the temperature inside the house back to the dead zone settings.

Most humans are the same way. When we recognize our surroundings are pushing us out of our comfort zone, we will actually work JUST LONG ENOUGH to bring our surroundings back into our comfort zone.

This can happen with our financial situations, our relationships, our careers, anything in our lives really.

Here's an example. A woman thinks her husband is lazy. Every now and then an argument will occur that will send their relationship into a tailspin. The husband, sensing his comfort zone has been knocked out of whack, does everything possible to bring his environment back into his comfort zone alignment.

He works around the house, he picks up extra shifts at work, and so on. But, he ONLY does it long enough to assuage his wife, calm her down and bring her back into alignment with his idea of his comfort zone.

Once he realizes his comfort zone is back, he stops doing all the 'extra' things that she expects from him. He is back into his dead zone, and all is good in his world, until his wife goes off on him again.

People take this approach in every aspect of their lives, whether they realize it or not.

Instead of expanding the comfort zone, instead of stepping out of their dead zone, they react over and over and over. There is no pro-active action in their lives.

With all of that said, what does your comfort zone look like? Is it pretty narrow? Are you wanting to widen it? Consider the idea of being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What are your thoughts?