5 Tips to let go of your comfort zone

As human beings , all of us are subject to emotions, those of compassion or anger or envy or joy or sadness and a lot of them at various phases in our life’s and careers . In this article we will talk about a major inhibitor in our careers, holding us back from taking a next step ; fear . So , what causes it , why does it cripple us and how to overcome it in order to achieve growth ?

When you have worked on certain standard types of projects , got familiar with the work environment and have built a good network around you , you are in something called a comfort zone . This is similar to you relaxing on a couch in front of your tv and watching your favorite show while working on a laptop . You think you are being productive , but that’s not being quite effective and definitely you are not challenging yourself . If you’re not challenging yourself , you are stagnant and not growing .

Most people would agree that operating in their comfort zone for an extended period is going to make them complacent and stale . Yet, a very few of them venture to step out of it and do something different. The vast majority either get a late wake up call at which point they struggle to come up to speed or they succumb to the cozyness.

So , Why does it take this group of people, who know that they have been in a comfort zone for a while , so long to step out of it and do something different ? It’s the fear of unknowns that holds them down . Let’s examine a few top types of worries .

• Fear of not being able to learn the new skills needed for the new job or project
• Fear of not being able to perform at the level and speed of your new team.
• Fear of having to start building connections from the scratch ; new team means having to work with strangers and establish trust .
• Fear of a new work place environment , which may have a different culture with lesser flexbility or transparency.
• Fear of not getting as much financial recognition or suitable designation or other perks that the comfort zone is giving you.
• Fear of losing work flexibility or having to work overtime .

If you have some of these worries , here are a few ways in which you can overcome these fears and get into something called a growth zone

• Be Curious : First off, be open to the idea of getting to know whats out there . Put on your curious George hat and look around to see what kind of work other teams are doing . When you meet your friends or colleagues at lunch or coffee , ask about what they working on. Attend some lunch and learn sessions or tech showcases or demos . There is no harm in being curious. You do this and you win half the battle just by being ready to keep your eyes and ears open . Why ? Because , you will start learning and growing.
• Practice new skills: Read up on areas that interest you to know more about a topic. There are plenty of articles on the internet . Watch youtube videos on a beginners guide to something. Do a small project to practice what you have learnt. Until you do this , you wont feel comfortable. It might not be easy at first , but investing some time to sit through this exercise will help you get confident.
• Market Awareness : Most people who are settled in their comfort zone are likely with the same company for a while. Being market aware , requires you to extend your curiosity beyond your company. Attend tech or leadership conferences that other companies host , where you can register . This will not only give you a view into what others in the market are doing , but it’s also an opportunity to establish some connections and get some material to research. You can also read blogs of some famous companies or watch recordings of conferences like Google I/O or AWS ReInvent online.
• Do some presentations: Possibly the best way to build your self confidence is to prepare on a topic and give a presentation in front of a small group . This is a mechanism to share your knowledge and interact with the audience. Once you feel comfortable, do it in front of a larger crowd .
• Find a Mentor: There is no better resource to help you step out of your comfort zone than a good mentor. Find someone who you feel is practicing all the above mentioned tips and can be good coach as well . They will continue to challenge you , until you establish the discipline yourself. This person need not be your manager, it can be your friend or a peer in your team or some other group. You want to feel challenged , similar to how a personal trainer at a gym would put you through pressure tests.

Hopefully after following these tips , you will let go of some of your fears. You can always minimize your exposure to a subset of fears at once . For example: You can opt to work on a different project with a manager who you worked with in the past , as he/she can give you that comfort feeling and help you build the network around. Another option is you can internally look for a new challenge and try it out for sometime .

The goal is to not stay in your comfort zone for too long . What is too long is subjective , you are the best judge , but just don’t become outdated. There are no rewards for loyalty alone at workplaces .

So , own your career paths and start getting into growth zones frequently.