Alright, let’s talk about this thing I did today, called it ‘the ring of comfort m&m’. Sounds a bit weird, maybe, but stick with me. It wasn’t some big planned project, just something that happened when I was staring at my desk, feeling kinda stuck.
How It Started
So, I was sitting there. You know those moments? Too much going on, or maybe not enough, hard to tell sometimes. Just felt… stagnant. I happened to have a bag of M&Ms nearby – yeah, the chocolate kind. Don’t judge, they help sometimes. I dumped a bunch out on the table, no real reason at first.
Then I got this idea. The ‘ring of comfort’. I didn’t grab paper or anything fancy. Just used the M&Ms right there on the desk. I sort of mentally drew a circle in the middle of the mess.
Building the Ring
I started picking up M&Ms one by one. The idea was simple: stuff I felt comfortable doing, familiar things, they go inside the ring. Stuff that felt like a stretch, things I avoid, or things that just feel hard right now? They go outside the ring.
So, checking my usual websites? Green M&M, inside. Making my standard cup of tea? Yellow M&M, inside. Easy stuff.
Then I thought about that tricky email I needed to send. Red M&M, definitely outside the ring. Thinking about learning that new software everyone’s talking about? Blue M&M, way outside. It started to build up.
- Inside the ring: Watching shows I’ve seen before, doing routine chores, sticking to the usual schedule.
- Outside the ring: Trying to fix that leaky faucet myself, starting a conversation with a stranger, tackling the big pile of paperwork I’ve been ignoring.
Looking at the Result
After a few minutes, I had this little map. A cluster of M&Ms inside my imaginary circle, and a scattering of them all around the outside. Wasn’t scientific, obviously. But it was plain to see.
And here’s the thing I realized: My comfort zone, the stuff inside the ring, it wasn’t bad. It’s necessary, right? But looking at all those colors on the outside… that’s where the different stuff was. The stuff that probably leads somewhere new.
It made me think about years ago, my first proper job. I got so comfortable doing the same thing day in, day out. Knew it inside out. Felt safe. Then they changed things up, moved me to a new department, totally different work. I hated it at first. Really struggled, felt completely lost, way outside my ring. But you know what? Ended up being the best thing for me. Learned so much more than if I’d just stayed put.
So this little M&M exercise, it wasn’t about fixing everything right now. It was just a way to see it clearly. See the ring. See what’s outside. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try and move one of those outside M&Ms a bit closer. Or maybe I’ll just eat them. It’s a start, anyway.
