Career Success Tip 2: get outside your comfort zone

Posted by on April 27, 2018

Career Success Tip 2: get outside your comfort zone

In my last post, I talked about the first of four career tips: know and develop yourself. The second tip is to get outside your comfort zone.

Our comfort zones are always shrinking – so imperceptibly slowly that we often don’t notice. But to make sure that you are staying open to all of your options as well as identifying new ones, you are going to need to take a few risks. That discomfort you feel is natural, and it means you are growing! I’ve written about taking risks before here. (There are also related posts on confidence and courage and things that hold us back like perfectionism.)

Whenever I have a client who is afraid to take risks, we identify something they can have fun with and go fail at. (Bowling, anyone?) Failing is a skill, and we need to learn that we can deal with whatever comes our way. Because some day, there will be an exciting opportunity in front of you that you very much want – and you will be a lot more likely to go after it if you know in advance you can handle any outcome.

And Ladies, there is a real confidence gap between the genders. As girls we were rewarded for behaving and getting good grades, and it made a lot of us risk averse. At work, you need to share your ideas, ask for the salary you want, and apply for jobs that you may not be 100% qualified for. (Men usually do all of those things.) Don’t hold yourself back!

The people around you need you to bring your best self and use your gifts. Playing small doesn’t serve you or the world. What’s a reasonably fun risk you could take this week to practice failing (and being kind to yourself in the process)?

Remember, the real confidence killer isn’t failure; it’s inaction. So get out there, explore, and enjoy the discomfort of growing as you try something new!

So long, comfort zone!

p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching