Are you feeling good right now?
Everything is set up the way you want it?
You are fully aligned with your goals?
Feeling comfy?
Great!
But is it really?
You might just have cuddled up in your comfort zone.
You might have stopped to grow!
Growth causes pain.
If you do not have the feeling of being overwhelmed from time to time. If you do not need to dive into new situations you never handled before. If “Can I do this?” does never cross your thoughts. Then, you probably have stopped to grow. You have just set up a comfortable situation in which you hope to rest for your remaining life.
While this might feel good in the short term, it is a dangerous setup in the long term. As everybody else around you continues to progress, you are silently falling behind.
If the rate of change outside is higher than inside, the end is near. Trust me, the rate of change is high outside.
Today’s success can be the gravedigger of your future.
But apart from the risk of being left behind, you could also have a better life, even if it feels quite ok right now. Outside your comfort zone is where the great life happens.
You need to leave your comfort zone to grow
Push yourself out of your comfort zone regularly. Do things that are right on the edge of your capabilities. This way you will enlarge your zone of comfort and increase the range of opportunities that are open to you. It is absolutely normal to feel a slight degree of panic for a while. This will pass. As soon as you get used to the new tasks and roles, your confidence will grow.
Also give yourself times to rest, reset and revive. Do not push yourself to the limit all the time. Muscles do not grow during training, but during the breaks. That is, as long as the training is regular and intense enough. It’s a delicate balance.
The same is true for your confidence, your capabilities and skills. You need times of recovery and reflection. To heal your bruises and grow. You need to reflect to learn the lessons from your failures.
Getting out of the comfort zone is hard. Do not expect quick results. It’s a long journey but it’s worth it. During hard times, picture your future self to stay motivated: What kind of person do you want to be in five years? What do you not want to regret on your last day?
P.S.: This applies to organizations, too.