Are you reading this with the goal of either improving your commercial career, your team's or maybe the impact you are having in the world at large?
The reality is that if you want to move forward, you will have to get out of your comfort zone. Let’s explore this more.
Is A Comfort Zone Ever Good?
Of course, it is. We all need an element of security and safety to function emotionally on an even keel, in a state where we are relatively free from worry and angst.
We know the route into work, and how long it will take, we know how our significant other likes their tea or coffee in the morning.
Developing our own comfort zone is a goal we all fundamentally have. However, our zone of comfort can change as we master new skills and activities, and this is a key to our ongoing success.
We Live in A Growth World
The facts are we all live in an environment that is fuelled by growth. If a plant doesn’t grow, it dies. As a human being if we don’t learn new skills and techniques to excel in our career we don’t ‘die’ though it’s unlikely we are the one who gets promoted or is successful at that assessment centre for that dream role in a new company we have set our heart on.
Therefore if you want more from your life, either professionally or personally, you will have to step outside your comfort zone.
Growth Comes From Being Uncomfortable
J. M Barrie the well-known author has a famous saying....
He didn’t exactly have a comfortable life initially, and fame and fortune always seemed out of reach as he consistently put himself out of his comfort zone. He moved to London and eventually wrote the classic Peter Pan enjoyed by many of us; my family included.
The reason why many people stay stuck in their comfort zone, or the same job or using the same recruiting process is that they have a crippling fear of failure.
People tend to forget that struggle and discomfort are where all growth happens. When we were children, everything was new and scary. Some days it all worked, and you didn’t fall off the bike other days it didn’t, and for that small moment in time you realised you had reached a certain level- you either succeeded or failed—and either way, you were growing the entire time.
The trouble is many people either finish school or university and think that the learning has stopped. The fact is in today’s world our capacity to learn never stops. There is always an opportunity to grow no matter who we are.
Will we make mistakes and fail? Of course, we will.
Edison had thousands of prototypes in his workshop before the lightbulb hit the streets and Stephen Spielberg was rejected by the University of California’s film school and one of my personal favourites; “ We don’t like their sound and guitar music is on the way out.” the documented statement by Decca when they rejected The Beatles in 1962!
New opportunities will rarely fall into your lap; you have to stretch and move towards them. Leaving your comfort zone will help you have a go at the things you've always wanted to do, and who knows you might even discover things about yourself you never realised.
No matter how much you want to believe it, waiting around for something won't get you anywhere, but the second you leave your comfort zone, you'd be surprised at how things just start falling into place.
Ready to Move Out of Your Comfort Zone?
Why not make this month the time you decide to move out of your comfort zone. Perhaps learn a new skill or explore a new career opportunity. If it’s the latter, as a commercial recruitment company, we can help. Call us on Leeds 0113 367 2880. Alternatively email us here.
