It can be really easy to get comfortable in life and to only do things inside your comfort zone. You’re unlikely to get hurt here, you might get really good at doing the one thing you know you can do, and your expectations are likely to be in line with what goes on around you so you’re not disappointed.
But the magic doesn’t happen here. Nothing good in my life has ever happened from the safety of my comfort zone. It’s all those moments where you feel challenged, where you think ‘ahhhh, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea’ and then ponder giving up – if you can get through this stage of doubt and make it out the other side – I promise you, this is where the good stuff happens.
If life is starting to feel a bit samey and there’s a bit too much routine – try something new. This is the perfect time to start. It’s a New Year, a fresh slate, a chance to change it up. At Virgin we are always trying new things – this year we’re opening new hotels, launching new airline routes, pushing the envelope further with our space companies and beginning sailing our new cruise line, Virgin Voyages. I’m sure there are many new things waiting around the corner for me.
If you need a little inspiration, the theme of my autobiography, Finding My Virginity, is all about how we should never lose the thrill of trying something new for the first time. The book starts out where Losing My Virginity left off and tells the story of my life and the growth of Virgin over the past 20 years.
It reveals how my home moved from a houseboat to a paradise island, while my company has grown from a UK business to a global brand and my focus has shifted from battling bigger rivals to changing business for good. In this time I’ve experienced joy, heartbreak, hurricanes, business highs, grief, records, doubt and my toughest ever crisis.
Everything that has happened over the past two decades has happened outside my comfort zone – and it’s been an incredible journey. I hope you get out there and try something new in 2020.
All the best for 2020!
Sir Richard Branson