Learning to Build a Growth Mindset While Moving Towards a Growth Zone

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.

Abraham Maslow

“Learning is from Womb to the Tomb”. Learning is a cycle which humans go through in life. However, when people settle in life, procrastination creeps in and spending more time in the comfort zone increases.?The term ‘comfort zone’ was coined by management thinker Judith Bardwick in her 1991 work, "Danger in the Comfort Zone".

Figure 1: Evolution From The ComfortZone to The Growth Zone

Source:https://academiapa.com/comfortzone/

As entrepreneurs, employees, or individuals, we tend to be satisfied with what we have and not seek to leave the zone we are used to evolving. This is known as the Comfort Zone. The definition of the comfort zone “is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.” Learning is a critical transformational component when moving from the comfort zone to the growth zone. Learning help breaks the hurdles in the comfort and fear zone to push to the growth zone. After a learning period, or a cycle of the growth zone, is achieved, a new comfort zone is created, expanding one's ability to reach even greater heights. Consistency is what it means to be constantly in the growth zone. (Page 2020)

It is important to note that, like most behavioural change attempts, moving into the growth zone becomes harder without some level of self-awareness. There are four vital psychological aspects to focus on when moving from the comfort zone;

1. Reframe Stress.

Reframe stress is the first vital action to achieve a growth mindset. As quoted by William Shakespeare, “Tragedy is a Comedy Misunderstood. “Physiologically, there is no difference between anxiety and excitement. Both entail a ‘stress response,’ but whether they are perceived as positive or negative is a matter of labelling. By reframing stress, you can successfully move out of the fear zone. Embrace and understanding Once understood, less courage is needed to move away from comfort because failure becomes integral to the journey.

2. Understanding Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is an essential step toward internalising the growth mindset. Neuroplasticity or dynamic brain can be viewed as a general umbrella term that refers to the brain's ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience.

3. Know What You Want and When to Get It

Occupying the comfort zone is not always detrimental. The point is to identify bottlenecks: areas of life where being too comfortable is more harmful. Work on goal selectivity and prioritise chronologically by creating a strategy chart. The chart will provide a clearly defined roadmap on the priority goals.

4. Aim Small, Miss Small

Once you have the prioritised road map, It is okay to take small, methodical steps and gradually move to larger, bolder ones. Leaving behind the comfort zone does not mean recklessly throwing caution to the wind. Every small step forward is progress. Work on goal selectivity and prioritise chronologically by creating a strategy chart. The chart will provide a clearly defined roadmap on the priority goals.

We have discussed the methodology transition from the comfort zone to the growth zone. Now let’s discuss the benefits of being in the growth zone. The growth zone is the area where you will have achieved your main objectives and goals and where you will be able to define even more ambitious new ones. Many successful individuals have made this journey and have taken the risk of leaving their comfort zone with discipline and determination throughout the world.

Nevertheless, if you are ambitious, it is vital to move out of your comfort zone since nothing new takes place here. To become better and achieve your potential, it is an uphill task to move out of the comfort zone and growing zone. However, it is achievable through the three D’s; Discipline, Daring and Determination of the 3 Cs of human transformation; Curiosity, Courage and Consistency.

Now let’s look into the benefits of being in the growth zone.

1. Self-actualisation.

A concept that acts as a powerful incentive to leave the comfort zone and be in the growth zone. The idea of self-actualisation was popularised through Abraham Maslow’s (1943) theory of human motivation, which he described as follows: “What a man can be, he must be. Therefore, the need to achieve may be coined self-actualisation”.Maslow’s hierarchy of needs operates like a ladder, with the satisfaction of our ‘basic’ and ‘psychological’ needs being analogous to inhabiting the comfort zone. Nevertheless, whether we are conscious of it, the theory argues that our following requirement is for personal growth and fulfilment.

As long as the decision to leave the comfort zone aligns with a person’s values, this shift corresponds to a bid for self-actualisation.

Figure 2: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Source: https://positivepsychology.com/comfort-zone/

2. Development of growth mindset;

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s (2008) work on mindsets marked a paradigm shift in Nowositive psychology. The study distinguished between two contrasting belief systems; the fixed Vs. Growth mindsets. People believe they have a fixed quantity of each ability with a fixed mindset, limiting their achievement. On the contrary, a growth mindset means recognising humans as workable from which setbacks become opportunities for learning self-potential becomes unlimited. While a fixed mindset keeps one cornered by fear of failure, the growth mindset helps to expand the opportunities. Intentionally leaving the comfort zone goes hand-in-hand with developing a growth mindset. It inspires and encourages learning and taking prudent, calculated risks, leading to positive outcomes across life domains.

3. Resilience and Anti-Fragility;

” Life is not a predictable affair; perhaps then, people should not be either”. However, at some point in time, one should encounter adversity. A habit of expanding our comfort zone helps people to handle change and ambiguity with more balance leading to resilience to be tough during adverse situations.

A concept known as ‘antifragile’ systems, which “thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors.” was introduced by a statistician named Nassim Taleb (2012). He introduced the examples of evolution and immune systems, as well as the human psyche. As per Nassim, “While resilient systems bounce back to the same level after a shock, antifragile systems learn to grow from them, reaching new heights”. Thus, stepping outside the comfort zone is to purposefully cultivate anti-fragility so that we do not swing in the panic zone for an extended period and build more resilience in the comfort zone. (Page 2020)

4. Greater self-efficacy,

In 1997 Albert Bandura outlined that is the belief in executing necessary actions in service of a goal. Goals that lead to higher self-efficacy are specific, not too tricky, and short-term. Leaving the comfort zone means a phase of trial and error, during which at least some level of success is sure. Experiencing this success helps to build self-efficacy, with belief in our ability starting to grow. However, unlike other benefits of leaving the comfort zone, this change will take some time. However, the added upward spiral of achievement and confidence can transform into a powerful asset.

Reference

Page, O. (2018). How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your Growth Zone. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/comfort-zone/

Bibliography

Oliver Page MD, (2020). "How to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Enter Your Growth Zone". PositivePshychology, November 20, 2020. Accessed August 25, 2021 https://positivepsychology.com/comfort-zone/