Don't Get Out of Your Comfort Zone—Expand It

Don’t be too quick to tell someone to get out of their comfort zone. You don’t want a brain surgeon feeling outside his comfort zone while noodling around inside your head. You don’t want your accountant, your mechanic or your contractor outside either. You want them comfortable and confident.

My wife’s comfort zone includes zip lines, singing in front of large crowds, and having babies.

None of that applies to me, or ever will. But she didn’t get comfortable with those things without hard work. She put in the effort and grew from it; things outside came inside and her “comfort zone” expanded. 

While getting “outside of your comfort zone” is often sound advice to the timid, the insecure, and the inexperienced, most of us already know that you have to do uncomfortable things to mature and grow, to move your career ahead, or to realize your dreams. A more helpful admonition would be to expand your comfort zone so that you increase the areas of expertise and skill that most suit your goals and stage in life. Not all challenging areas are of equal value to us. Assuming you aren’t still wet behind the ears, you need to be more selective with your time. Some challenges have a greater ROI than others. Pick those areas where the discomfort comes with an equivalent reward for your efforts.

Above all, remember that getting “outside” isn't the goal, bringing “inside” what you learn is.