To Grow Your Business, Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone

by Staff Writer
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Have you done anything different this past week? Something you’ve never done before?

It might be something as simple as talking to a coworker you haven’t met before, or trying a new way to complete a task. Or maybe something bigger, like taking a training course on a topic you’ve been wanting to learn more about, or signing up to speak at a conference.  
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If the answer is no, you might be stuck in your comfort zone. Staying within your comfort zone also means you aren’t learning new skills, which can lead to career stagnation.
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Why You Should Leave Your Comfort Zone

As Andy Molinsky explains in his Harvard Business Review article, “If You’re Not Outside Your Comfort Zone, You Won’t Learn Anything,” we constantly need to adapt our behavior in our careers. “Without the skill and courage to take the leap, we can miss out on important opportunities for advancement,” says Molinsky.  

It’s easy to do the same things you’ve always done. And it can feel overwhelming to step outside of the familiar. But doing something new can benefit your organization — and help you improve.

When you step outside your comfort zone, you see the following positive results:
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1. Gain a New Perspective

By doing the exact same thing every day, you only see business and life through one lens. But expanding your understanding by attending a networking event, talking to new people, or even listening to what a dissatisfied customer has to share with you, can help you see things from another perspective.
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2. Boost Your Confidence

While getting outside of your comfort zone can be, well, uncomfortable, doing so can boost your confidence. Often a lack of confidence is tied to a lack of experience, so trying something new or speaking up in a meeting you don’t usually speak up in can help train your brain to be more confident, and more comfortable, with it next time.
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3. Make New Contacts

Staying within professional and social circles that you are familiar with can be more comfortable than branching out to meet new people. But one benefit of getting out of your comfort zone is the possibilities you open up  when you meet new people.

With each new relationship, you build your network — which can help you professionally as well as your company. As a bonus, expanding your circle also helps broaden your perspective and encourages you to think about problems from a new angle.
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4. Learn a New Skill

The first time you do something new can be nerve-wracking. But throughout the process, you gain new knowledge and expertise that you can use in other parts of your job. Whether you’d like to get better at public speaking, or working with data, going out of your way to build your skills helps you add value to your company.
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Grow Your Career, Grow Your Business

Yes, it’s daunting. Yes, you might not be successful. But the only way to grow your own career, as well as your organization’s revenue, is to do something you have never done before. You can start small. But you start getting out of your comfort zone to take both your career and your organization to new places.

Source: Smartsheet Blog
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