Beyond your comfort zone

Dear young professional!

How are you feeling today? Can you believe it’s the last day of 2024? Wow! The year has been a rollercoaster of intense emotions and significant personal and professional milestones for me. Over the last few months, I left my job, got married, started graduate school and moved to an entirely new country for that purpose. As Nigerians would say, “life has really? been lifeing”.?

This period has been marked by a lot of uncertainty, especially leaving behind a job I loved and my new husband to return to school. At every step of this process, I have had to ask myself very hard and difficult questions: Is this the right step to take in this moment? What purpose will be served by my returning to school? Can I achieve that purpose in my current setup? One thing that I understand and have always known is that stretching out of your comfort zone is very critical for learning, growth and progress—both personally and professionally. However, for that to happen, you need to be able to push past your fears and if that is too daunting, just do it afraid.?

Relating this to the workplace, growth, and progress often come from embracing challenges and pushing beyond your comfort zone. A failure to step out of your comfort zone may cause your career to stagnate. It’s important to actively seek out new and interesting projects and volunteer to take them on. While stepping out can feel risky, you’ll never truly know how prepared you are until you try. It’s only by taking on new things that you know if you are fully prepared for them or not. The more you push for projects beyond your comfort zone, the more you exercise that muscle,? build your confidence, and sharpen the skills you need to thrive.?

Life is never fully decided, so we always take a leap of faith and hope that in doing that, everything comes together at the end of the day. Regardless of the outcome, whether you succeed or fail, taking risks is a recipe for growth. So, as we head into 2025, ask yourself: What do I need to do differently? Whatever goals you’ve been dreaming about—whether personal or professional—don’t be afraid to make a demand for it and be disciplined in your efforts.?

As always, I am rooting for all of us. Here’s to reaching new heights in 2025! ??

Love & Light?

Ujunwa