Why Getting Comfortable Is Actually Very Dangerous (Despite What Your Family Says)

I recently visited my hometown and was reminded one thing: Home is where I am most comfortable.

There’s something about visiting home after moving away for college that makes you feel some type of way. I’m not quite sure if it’s the familiar faces, the comfort of driving by the local Target or sensation that runs through your body when you finally pull up to your driveway for the first time in months. Either way, home will always be home.

During my trip home, I could see myself transferring schools and moving back. I was so eager to fly back to San Francisco, pack my bags and buy a one-way ticket back to Portland.

The warmth and familiarity of my childhood was so relaxing and satisfying that I had to slap myself across the face and snap myself back into reality.

I left home for a reason.

Driving down the highway made me miss my hometown, but it also showed me what my life could have been. I could have lived 10 to 20 minutes away from my parents and come running back to them whenever I faced a road bump in my life.

I could have stayed within my same circle of friends and neglected the opportunity to meet new, interesting and insightful individuals, and I could have continued working the same dead-end part-time job just to support my naive lifestyle. But that’s not the life I envisioned for myself.

Moving away from home is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make as a 20-something. But the bigger picture isn’t about whether or not to move out of your parents’ house; it’s the notion of being comfortable and the lack of urgency that takes over your life when you don’t claim your years as a young adult.

Your 20s are the most transformative 10 years of your entire life. Millennial expert, Dr. Meg Jay explains that 80 percent of life-defining moments happen before the age of 35.

The first 10 years of your career affect how much money you’ll make, and the second and last growth spurt of your brain happens in your 20s as your brain rewires itself for adulthood.

So if there’s something you want to change about yourself, now is the time to do it. As this life-defining sh*t happens in your 20s, you need to take advantage of it. (Don’t worry if you’re over 30 — I’m sure you’re doing just fine.)

It’s sickening to hear older individuals say, “Don’t worry; you’re only 20,” or “You have all the time in the world to figure out what you want to do.” Actually, no, we don’t have all the time in the world, and the only reason you’re giving me horrible advice is because you didn’t maximize your years as a 20-something.

When you listen to people who suggest that you have more time, you are robbing yourself of your chance at discovery and taking away the sense of urgency you need to fuel that fire.

There are four words I continuously repeat to remind myself regarding my decision to leave home and venture off into a new and unfamiliar city: Stay hungry, stay foolish. This quote by Steve Jobs serves as a reminder to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Stay Hungry

Don’t settle; An accomplishment is like winning a battle, not a war. Where you’re at in life just isn’t good enough. Remember those goals and dreams you’ve always had? There’s no excuse why you can’t achieve them.

Even if you’ve tried and failed, there’s always another route to take or perspective to be examined. Continue to better yourself and maintain an eagerness to learn. Crave something that adds value to the person you are, and make investments in the person you want to become.

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Stay Foolish

Fools are the fastest learners because they act upon passion and excitement and make unconventional decisions.

They may not necessarily receive the answer or response they’re looking for instantly, but they are able to learn from their mistakes and project themselves further because they spend no time waiting for things to happen.

To achieve something, you need a plan and not enough time. — Leonard Bernstein