Embrace the Unknown: Push Beyond Your Comfort Zone

As entrepreneurs and founders, we are often faced with new challenges and opportunities on a regular basis. While it can be tempting to stick with what we know and stay within our comfort zone, constantly striving to work outside of our comfort zone can have numerous personal and professional benefits.

Working outside of your comfort zone helps you grow as an individual. It allows you to develop new skills and learn from new experiences. When you push yourself to try new things, you are more likely to stretch your abilities and discover hidden talents. This personal growth leads to increased self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

In the professional world, constantly striving to work outside of your comfort zone can also lead to career advancement. By stepping up to new challenges and taking on roles that may be outside of your comfort zone, you demonstrate to your employer or clients that you are willing to go above and beyond to get the job done. This kind of proactive attitude should be highly valued in most workplaces and can lead to unexpected opportunities for advancement.

As an entrepreneur, it's especially important to work outside of your comfort zone. Starting and running a business requires a certain level of risk-taking and the ability to adapt to new situations. By constantly striving to work outside of your comfort zone, you will be better equipped to handle the challenges and uncertainties that come with entrepreneurship. You'll also be more likely to come up with innovative ideas and solutions to problems, which can give you a competitive edge in your industry.

Additionally, working outside of your comfort zone helps you stay engaged and motivated in your work. When you are constantly trying new things, your work becomes more interesting and dynamic. This can help prevent burnout and keep you feeling energized and engaged in your career – especially when things get tough, which they inevitably will in the world of entrepreneurship.

Of course, it's important to remember that working outside of your comfort zone doesn't mean taking on tasks that are completely beyond your abilities or putting yourself in dangerous or unhealthy situations. It's about finding the right balance and pushing yourself just enough to grow and learn, while still being mindful of your own limitations.

If you find it challenging to push yourself into the unknown, consider writing clear objectives for yourself and holding yourself accountable. A great hack for this is to have a trusted accountability partner or friend that you keep appraised of your progress in challenging yourself. You may even consider asking this buddy to facilitate or help push you further.

Constantly striving to work outside of your comfort zone can have numerous personal and professional benefits, especially for entrepreneurs and founders. It allows you to grow as an individual, demonstrate your value to your employer or clients, and stay engaged, excited, and motivated in your day-to-day. So next time you're faced with a new challenge, consider stepping outside of your comfort zone – you never know what you might achieve.

here are some great references and further readings on this topic:

• Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" discusses the importance of "leaning in" to new challenges and opportunities in order to advance in your career. You can find more information about the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947
• In a Forbes article, leadership coach Mike Myatt discusses the benefits of stepping outside of your comfort zone, including personal growth, increased self-confidence, and the ability to learn new skills. You can read the full article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/03/23/5-reasons-why-you-should-step-outside-your-comfort-zone/?sh=6a1b6c9f2a93
• A Harvard Business Review article by leadership coach Tasha Eurich highlights the benefits of taking on tasks that are outside of your comfort zone, including increased productivity, improved problem-solving skills, and greater career advancement opportunities. You can read the full article here: https://hbr.org/2015/01/why-you-should-constantly-stretch-beyond-your-comfort-zone