Your Inner CEO: Don't Get Too Comfortable!

“Comfort Zone” is a great phrase and I fully understand why we hear about it so often. People are in a comfort zone when they talk about a comfort zone. It has a nice, lulling quality, doesn't it? It makes you think of sitting in a soft La-Z-Boy by a warm fireplace on a cold winter night.

One defining element of a comfort zone is the absence of surprises, especially unpleasant surprises. It may not be the most exciting place in the world, but you’re willing to sacrifice excitement for predictability. If your boss walks in one morning and asks you to run report ABC, that’s fine – because it’s what he does every morning. You won't even break a sweat. You do it every day and know the drill. There’s a very limited range of possibilities here. There’s no upside but – more importantly – there’s no downside either.

But what if your boss came in one morning and told you to redesign a report from scratch. Suppose you also had to use a software program you'd never seen before. Suppose you had to have it done before noon. How would you feel then? The answer, of course, is uncomfortable, and maybe frightened.

Many people, when faced with a challenge that lies outside their comfort zone will get nervous and panic. “I can't do this, I'll never get it done on time, I don't need this stress. Why me? Why not that other person in the next cubicle?”

It’s fine to feel that way – for a minute or two. But the reality of life is that we learn by doing, and that means leaving the comfort zone behind. Children don't learn to walk by watching others, they try to stand and fall hundreds of times before learning how to put one foot in front of the other in perfect balance.

Doing things that are uncomfortable and new ultimately expands your comfort zone. It enables you to confront new tasks courageously -- not without discomfort, but with discomfort under control. If you do the thing you think you can’t do, you'll feel yourself growing stronger. 

Someday you’ll face harder choices that might require even more initiative. But you’ll be able to choose action over fear. You’ll be very comfortable with that.