Abraham Lincoln said, “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” Lincoln’s confidence in doing what was right was more important than doing what was popular. Lincoln was a man of confidence—not so much in himself, but in his cause. He was so confident in his cause that he would speak boldly about slavery even in hostile environments. He once made a bold challenge, saying, “Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” 

Having confidence in your cause is not based on calculating the odds; it is based on being courageous enough to do what needs to be done. Many people feel they need to know every detail to be confident in a task, but confidence is more than knowledge. It is about believing in your ability to make things work. It is the trust that you will keep moving forward, even when you’re not sure what lies ahead.

Confidence allows us to break through our limits and expand our borders. If we only move forward in the things we know, we will never explore greater opportunities. Limiting ourselves to only act on what we are comfortable with will only get us what we’ve always got. We must be willing to step out in confidence and break the barrier of comfort.

T.S. Elliot said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

The comfort zone consists of only what we have experienced. We know what we are capable of in this zone, but to expand our opportunities we have to expand our boundaries. Everyone has “comfort zones.” These zones are the mental spaces that we operate within. They are artificial boundaries to make us feel a sense of emotional security in our work and decision-making. What distinguishes leaders from followers is what they do with their “comfort zones.” There are those who are perfectly happy staying warm and cozy in this safe box they’ve built, and then there are those who constantly push and test the limits of their abilities. Those who test the limits are those who achieve greatness.

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people lies not in what they know, but in what they are willing to do.

All growth takes place outside of our perceived limits. Author Neale Donald Walsch said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” You will never reach your potential by only doing what you are comfortable doing. You will have to venture out into areas you know nothing about in order to eventually know something about it. It takes action to get a result. You cannot get better in the things you have never done unless you do them. To improve a result, you first have to get a result.

Never allow yourself to be governed by indecision and procrastination, for you will get stuck in the paralysis of analysis.