How to break out of your comfort zone

First of all, you need to know why you want to break out of your comfort zone and what you want to achieve. Are you looking for personal growth or simply just adventure?
You will be more motivated if you do it for yourself instead of someone 'forcing' you to do stuff outside your comfort zone.
If you have a specific goal or target, it is much easier to work towards them.

Note from the author: I will use my fear of heights as an example.
A few years ago, I even had fear issues when stepping on a ladder. So, what did I do: if, for example, a light bulb had to be changed, I asked someone else to do it.
Then, I went on holiday with my brother and a friend. And one of the activities was trekking on a volcano. And you know what that means: heights (my lifelong fear). I knew that I had to conquer my vertigo when I wanted to join them.
That was my goal, my target: being able to walk with them in a more or less normal way.

Begin by doing activities that are slightly out of your comfort zone and gradually increase the level of challenges as you become more and more comfortable with the previous step.
Expand the boundaries of your comfort zone step by step. Each time expanding it a little bit further. This way, you will get used to it and then be ready for the next step.
In each step, you will feel lots of discomfort, but this discomfort is necessary to break out of your comfort zone.
Believe it or not, you will develop new skills every time. Things you were never aware of could be positive for you. Examples can be new breathing techniques, positive self-talk, and meditation to keep your nerves under control, ...

Note from the author: My first step was stepping on a ladder until I was 1.5 meters above ground level, standing still and looking around me. This already scared the hell out of me, but after a few times, I could go onto the roof of my (bungalow) house and stand on it. There, I sit down for almost 30 minutes, proud of myself.
The next big step was to climb the stairs of the bell tower of a church and watch the view from above. This was something I could never have dreamt of in my entire life.

Most of the time, this is a process you can't do alone as it can be long and challenging.
Therefore, you have to surround yourself with positive people who are supporting you in good times and bad times.
Tell them what you want to achieve and how you want to do that. They will be the ones who you will rely on in difficult times.
You will encounter lots of discomfort as this is a part of growing. And it's always good if you can share your story or feelings with someone you trust.
And the good thing about being surrounded by such a group is that they will keep you motivated.

Note from the author: 2 weeks before I left on holiday, I wanted to do a final test. I went to an amusement park with a friend I completely trusted, with one aim: surviving a ride on the Ferris wheel. I did know my friend wouldn't do any stupid things or force me and be there for me when I would have an anxiety attack.
And guess what? I enjoyed the ride, and furthermore, I went on a rollercoaster, something I had never dared to do in my life.

Breaking out of your comfort zone is a journey, not the destination.
There will be lots of setbacks and failures on your way. These are all part of the learning process.
Instead of letting these discourage you, use them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

With every step, you will find new boundaries, which are harder and more difficult to overcome than the previous ones. These are the moments you must persevere and tell yourself, 'I have to do this, I need to do this'.
Nothing in life is easy; growth takes lots of time and effort, so be patient and keep the bigger picture in mind.

Remember that every step you set outside your comfort zone is already a victory. And victories are worth celebrating.
Treat yourself to something special, go to a restaurant, or have a lazy weekend, ... These rewards are also very motivational for the further steps you have to take on your journey.

Also, take a moment to reflect on yourself and be fully aware of what you have achieved. You will see where you came from and what you already have achieved.

Writing this article made me realize I forgot to mention my biggest achievement.
Back in Belgium, I had a perfect life: a well-paid job, a house with a big garden, and many cool friends... As you can see, I had nothing to worry about.
But one day, I fell in love with a woman from the other side of the world, and I had to decide: stay in Belgium in my comfort zone or give up everything and start a new life. I have been thinking and thinking for months about this dilemma, and I finally decided to move.
Bali and Indonesia are culturally almost the opposite of Belgium, so I had to adapt to a new lifestyle. And I can assure you that this was challenging. I remember some days when I was crying and thinking about my perfect life in Belgium.
Five years later, I realized this was the best decision in my life. Even though I sometimes struggle with the lifestyle here. I can tell you that breaking out of my comfort zone made me a much better person: I now value simple things more, money isn't everything in life, and I am becoming culturally more openminded, ...
Instead of living a life where I knew what was going to happen in 5 years, now every day is different.

You might have seen that there are a few similarities with this article: Becoming an achiever. And yes, you are right; in both articles, I tell you how to achieve something.
The difference is that when you break out of your comfort zone, you go into new, unknown territories for yourself. While in 'becoming an achiever' you build on something existing, that can be your knowledge, experience or work.
Both are very rewarding, but breaking out of your comfort is much more challenging.