Getting out of your comfort zone means taking chances and making choices into something unknown. It stretches you as a person whether it is a success or a failure, you will learn and grow from it. What about this is so difficult for many of us? I compare it to comfortable shoes, you wear them because there is no pressure, they are easy to walk in compared to a new pair of shoes that may be a little bit too tight initially and perhaps even give you blisters. However, over time these new shoes will become comfortable and this is because you have tried over and over to walk in them.
While I was still in Germany, I was in my comfort zone. I never thought about stretching myself very much other than taking some classes perhaps that were beneficial for my profession. Once I came to the US as a military spouse, I was on the military installation in a bubble and also comfortable. Outside my bubble everything was completely new to me, simple things like the wide streets or baggers packing your groceries for you. When I started to work here, I quickly realized although we have a lot in common on the surface, our communication styles and work styles are very different. I always felt like an outsider. After four years, I found myself alone with two children in a minimum wage job and I had to ask myself a few questions. What would further my career? What would make me happy and most importantly what is the worst that could happen to me if I try? I decided to go back to school and moved to a bigger city to get a better position. This worked well for a while but then I felt I had to stretch myself again.
I realized it would work best for me to find a position with an international company with a more diverse workforce. And again, I had to move to another city and start over. To make a long story short, now I am an Executive Coach and working on my Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development. I help clients getting out of their comfort zone and it is the best feeling in the world to see them putting in the work because they know they can do it.
Every time you try something new, the shoes become more comfortable until you can finally walk in them and then it’s time to try on a new pair of shoes.
