Hello 

Well, good news! Mondelez International, the manufacturers of Toblerone (the Swiss chocolate bar) are going to stop producing the revamped version of their bar. After numerous complaints about the new design, which some observers compared to a ‘bike rack’ (albeit a rather small one) the original version will soon be reinstated. And so they are essentially gong to give the boot to the re-boot. 

What most people objected to about the new design appears to have been the wide gaps between the distinctive, some would say iconic, triangular chunks of chocolate.

So all, it would seem, is now well. And yet, when you think about it (well actually you don’t have to think about it that much) there is a lot going on worldwide at the moment! Why then would so many people become so upset about the shape of a chocolate bar?

I suspect that there are many answers to that question, but I think that one of them is that this is what consumers have become accustomed to. Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt, but it often does breed familiarity. We are creatures of habit, and it can make us feel uncomfortable when out ability to behave in an habitual manner is somehow thwarted. Even people who don’t like routines, have routines!

Importantly, those routines which form part of our suite of habits, are more often than not contained in a particular location. And that location is the comfort zone. Now when some commentators discuss the comfort zone and some people’s prediction to linger there, those people can sometimes be castigated for being ‘lazy’ or ‘unimaginative’ or ‘failures’.

This is of course not true. Everyone needs a comfort zone and everyone needs to be able to visit it and be there for reasonable periods of time. The comfort zone is a good place to be. Firstly, it is of course comfortable, it allows us to do things often without thinking about them and without too much effort, and we can recharge our batteries at the same time. 

The real challenge arises when we spend too long in the comfort zone, which can result in us never striving to attempt anything outside it. The change in the shape of a chocolate bar is uncomfortable for some people because it’s new, it’s different, it’s outside their zone of comfort. Being annoyed and wanting the familiarity of the original feeling and shape back, is entirely understandable. However, if desperately hanging on to an ‘old design’ or the ‘old ways’ meant that someone missed out on a much more rewarding experience, then this would not be a good thing.

Unfortunately so many of us do live our lives missing out on things because that need for comfort and familiarity is so strong that it can drive our behaviours towards the mediocre, the average. This can result (ironically) in discomfort and (sadly) a huge gap between reality and true potential.

So, the question we all need to ask ourselves is, ‘where am I selling myself short because I am not living anywhere close to my full potential?’

Once you have asked yourself that question, have a think about the habits that you have in that area (discuss with a trusted friend if you find it difficult to ‘unpick’ what those habits may be) and then consider how many of them may actually be in the comfort zone.

Then make a plan, a plan which prompts you to do one thing each day, or at least each week, which is just a little bit different, which takes you out of the comfort zone and moves you ever so slightly towards the goal that you may have up until now been avoiding. Then..rinse and repeat. 

And as you gradually begin to see yourself making progress towards your goal, make sure to celebrate your successes, perhaps for example with some chocolate.

Best wishes 

Mike