Your Infinite Potential: Lies Outside Your Comfort Zone

'One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential'. Maya Angelou

To grow, to learn and to strive for our potential requires us to take risks and to step outside of our comfort zones. Doing what we have always done, in the way we have always done it can only lead to incremental improvements, at best. To provide a step change in our work or to live more fulfilling lives we need to push our boundaries. Knowing what those boundaries are, and then rising to the occasion is what will have the most profound impact on our lives.

Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Lombardo, says that people who regularly seek out fresh experiences tend to be more creative and emotionally resilient than those who remain stuck in routine. “To grow, you have to embrace discomfort. The transition will be uncomfortable and scary. Stretch yourself. You might just like what’s possible.”

It’s real – and backed by science

The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘comfort zone’ as a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested. It is a mental boundary, which gives you a sense of security. It’s a good thing – because we all need a space where we can relax, feel at ease and comfortable. In the comfort zone things are familiar to us and we don’t have to take any risks. The comfort zone is important because it gives us a place to return to, to reflect and make sense of things – a safe haven. However, if we never leave our comfort zone we would rarely be pushed, unlock our full potential or achieve what we’re capable of. Often, people will stay in a situation, a relationship or a job just because of its familiarity, security and the fact that the unknown can seem extremely daunting. After all, why break a routine if it’s comfortable?

The idea of the comfort zone goes back to a classic experiment in psychology. Back in 1908, psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson explained that a state of relative comfort created a steady level of performance In order to maximize performance, however, we need a state of relative anxiety—a space where our stress levels are slightly higher than normal. This space is called "Optimal Anxiety," and it's just outside our comfort zone. Too much anxiety and we're too stressed to be productive, and our performance drops off sharply.

The Learning Zone Model, developed by the German pedagogue Tom Senninger in 2000  is a helpful model to illustrate how we can create a step change in our learning and growth. He advocates that to learn we need to explore and venture out into the unknown. We already know our immediate surroundings, which form our comfort zone. But, we need to explore our learning zone, which lies just outside our secure environment. He believes that only in the learning zone can we truly grow, learn and make new discoveries – and thus expanding our comfort zone by becoming more familiar with more things. Beyond our learning zone, however, is the panic zone – where learning is blocked by an acute sense of fear and learning is generally impossible.

Importantly, these zones are different for different situations and different for each person.

Your Learning Zone

It’s easy to assume that getting out of your comfort zone and into your learning zone means doing something extreme and adventurous. For instance, bungee jumping might be out of the comfort zone for some people, but for others, who are used to doing this type of activity, it may very well sit within their comfort zone. However, having a quiet and unplugged Sunday with no electronics, no email, no internet may well be out of their comfort zone. For you it might be about speaking in public, moving jobs or networking with strangers. Each individual needs to discover what will put them into their own personal learning zone. Without the courage to take the leap, we miss out on opportunities and a chance to grow.

When I was a young adult, I considered myself quite adventurous, Things like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (back when it wasn’t a popular thing to do), venturing to the Yukon on my own or studying in a different country I took in my stride. However, making quick decisions was something I found quite difficult – and needed to seek reassurance from many people and deliberate for a long time. Taking chances, and trusting my instinct was something I had to expand into and make it more a part of my comfort zone.

What is it that it outside your comfort zone?

The Changing Boundaries

I believe that as we mature the relative size of our comfort zone and learning zone changes. In some ways our comfort zones increase in size. What was once intimidating becomes common place, due to life’s experiences. However, in contrast, without the buoyancy of youth we simultaneously become more cautious in other areas and in those spheres our comfort zones decrease in size.

I recently had a personal experience that I initially gladly jumped onto – and then realised it was more outside of my comfort zone that I had ever thought. I was privileged to be asked to join a photojournalism project on the North Vietnamese experience of the Tet Offensive of 1968 – one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. This was organised through Dawning, an organisation devoted to doing good for the world by documenting important issues ‘Through the Lens.’ When I first heard about it, I was very excited and extremely keen to take part. But, it wasn’t until I was actually on the 16 hour plane journey that I felt trepidation and wondered what I had got myself into, and why was I doing this? I was going to a country I had never been to, to interview people whose language I did not speak, using my son’s camera that I was not that familiar with, and working closely with a team of people I had never met before. If I hadn’t already committed and wasn't currently sitting on the flight, I might have been tempted to withdraw. But- what an enriching experience I would have missed! I had the extremely unique opportunity to be invited into North Vietnamese war veterans’ homes and talk with them and their families about astounding and emotionally-moving memories. I learned how to pay attention, I learned empathy, I learned a lot about how there are two sides to a story and I also learned about photography!  I was definitely in my learning zone. 

What I really learned though was that we seldom regret leaving our comfort zones. Once we take the leap and do it – we grow, we learn and we get so much out of the experience. Once you venture out of your comfort zone, it gets easier the next time.

Expanding your Comfort Zone

You can go out of your comfort zone in small ways every day. ‘Success’ gives 52 ideas of how to get into your learning zone more often.  It might be meditation, or it might be connecting with old friends. Or you might go for a larger experience, such as training for a marathon when you have never seriously run before, arranging to speak at a large conference, or tackling that thing you have been avoiding but you know would be good for you. What is that habit you have fallen into but you really need to shake up in order to improve? You need to decide what is right for you and where you need to step into that learning zone.

The comfort zone concentric circles above can be used as a model. Write down what is currently in your comfort zone. Then write down what is in your learning zone and what (right now) would set you in your panic zone (but you could slowly work towards). Be honest with yourself.

You can go out of your comfort zone for the sake of it. You will learn something about yourself and it will be easier to push your boundaries in the future. But even better is to think of your goals in work and life and what you want to accomplish to strive for your potential. Match going out of your comfort zone to these goals. If you do want to speak at that large conference, rather than getting into your panic zone – take a smaller ‘learning zone’ step first at speak at a smaller meeting. If you want to increase your leadership skills, you might want to take the smaller – but still courageous - step of volunteering to help a charity.

Take the plunge and do something today that is outside of your comfort zone. Think about your personal growth and impact. Think about creating momentum. Think about being self-fulfilled or your impact on others.

You are capable of so much more. Do it.

Diane is Head of People Development at Newton Europe

This is the 4th in the Series: Your Infinite Potential:

1. Your Infinite Potential: Living to the Max
2. Your Infinite Potential: Prune for New Growth
3. Your Infinite Potential: The Power of Morning Ritual