Ahh, the comfort zone.
As humans, we strive for comfort. We covet, look for and have created products and even entire industries to help us find and maintain high levels of comfort (hello Lazy-Boy!). We are hard wired to seek physical, mental and emotional comfort.
Given that, you might be surprised by the title of this piece. (Could I really want you to be uncomfortable?) Why would any self-respecting personal and professional development author write something that counters what we all want?
Because like many things in life, there is a difference between what we want and what we need. We all, at differing levels of fervor, want the comfort zone (it is, after all, comfortable). Yet in order to reach our goals and true potential, we have to stretch ourselves, try new things and take risks. And that is uncomfortable and scary.
As a new manager, you likely experience new levels and kinds of discomfort on a regular basis because everything is so new to you. Here are five reasons why reasons why you should welcome that discomfort:
- Discomfort allows growth. Whether you are talking physically (when you first begin exercising, you will feel real discomfort), mentally (thinking about new things, concepts and ideas requires energy), emotionally (doing something different can be hard), you cannot grow until you push the envelope of your comfort zone. If you want more of anything in your life – from healthy relationships to a healthy body weight to a healthy bank account – you must grow in knowledge, skills, habits and more. You must grow, and all true growth occurs outside the comfort zone.
- Discomfort builds confidence. Ever noticed that the more you do something successfully the more confident you become? Confidence comes in part from competence, which comes from practicing and trying new things in order to improve.
- Discomfort promotes creativity. Creativity is borne of necessity. People create new things, ideas, concepts and products when they have a problem. When you feel or notice some discomfort or lack of satisfaction with your situation, you will likely be driven to innovate and be creative to find a remedy. If you want to be more creative, look for your discomfort.
- Discomfort overcomes resistance to change. When we are comfortable, we are less likely to want to change. When we have a lack of satisfaction or have become uncomfortable with the way things are, we are far more open to change. Change, of course, to create a new situation that is better and ultimately creates a higher level of comfort.
- Discomfort facilitates goal achievement. This is the culmination of the other four points. If you want more learning, growth, promotion, profits and so on, you must consciously get outside of your comfort zone. Ask yourself this question: “Do you want to reach your goals enough to put up with a bit of discomfort or even fear?” If so, great. You know what to do. If not, go ahead and sit back in your comfy place. Just don’t be surprised when you don’t create a better future for yourself. You’ve traded it for all that comfort.
Photo Credit: www.freeimages.com/profile/icekitty37
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