Ditch the comfort zone

Every person has comfort zones within which he or she operates. But doing things that make you feel comfortable can result in an unwillingness to embrace changes. Change is usually necessary for an organization to continue growth and improve market viability. If you wait for discomfort to move you along, you may pay a severe price.

In our homes a thermostat regulates the temperature. When it gets too warm, the air conditioner kicks on to bring the temperature to an acceptable range. When the temperature drops below a certain point, the heater kicks on. The "comfort zone" is the range of temperature that is not too hot and not too cold.

Your personal comfort zone is one in which you are comfortable in what you do in your life - job, family, experiences in general, etc. Some call it "being comfortable," while others call it "being in a rut." We have built-in thermostats that regulate our level of anxiety, fear and discomfort. When you step outside the boundaries of your knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes, you begin to feel a bit anxious.

Psychological comfort zones are a little harder to quantify. Most people find talking to a friend or a few friends at once to be no challenge at all. However, the thought of standing up in a room of 20 or 30 people to give a five-minute speech, even if it is on a familiar topic, is enough to cause goose bumps and moist underarms for the majority of people. Giving a 45-minute speech in front of a live audience of 10,000-20,000 - or a television audience of several million - is unthinkable for all but a small percentage of the human population.

Regardless of what your business is, one of the first things you must do in order to achieve success is to be prepared to do things that you may initially be uncomfortable doing. No one has ever achieved anything without first tackling tasks that are difficult for him or her. Your comfort zone is that area of your life where you never feel threatened or uncomfortable in any way. The remedy is to step outside of our comfort zones on a regular basis.

Here's how: Identify one thing you have been putting off due to lack of comfort with your level of competence and go to work on it. Remember, you are shifting from being a stuck know-it-all to being a dynamic, risk-taking learner. This makes the people and events around you teachers or vehicles for your learning. It also makes you a leader because it tells everyone in your circle of influence that you know it is more powerful to learn than to stagnate.

Many professionals have attained a high level of competence in their particular fields. They have learned a lot in their careers and they have a good sense of what works and what doesn't. Some individuals have become so good at what they do that they can successfully perform their jobs "with their eyes closed." After much practice and learning, these individuals are able to operate within their newly developed comfort zones.

Trying new things does entail some risk. When you try something new, you may experience a sense of discomfort. This comes from not being completely sure of what will lead to success. You will also very likely make mistakes along the way - sometimes many mistakes.

As we make mistakes during the process of learning something new, we run the risk of looking foolish to others and feeling embarrassed. Extraordinarily successful people in every field have made lots of mistakes, that's how they became extraordinary. And if someone is "kind enough" to bring to your attention that you've made a mistake, say, "I know. Isn't it great? Now I don't have to do it again." It will totally change that individual's reaction to the situation.

Trying new things does offer wonderful payoffs. When you try something new and you persist at it, you usually become very good at it. In addition to having acquired a new skill, you can then experience the exhilaration of having faced a challenge and succeeding. So make a commitment to move beyond your comfort zone. Only by doing can you move closer to becoming the best you can possibly be.

Neal Burgis, Ph.D., is a national certified psychologist and a certified executive coach. Visit his Web site at www.successful-solutions.com or call 602-405-2540.

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