Your comfort zone is an addicting place to be. Stress levels are low, days are predictable, surroundings are familiar, and you feel safe. But when you’re working towards developing your career and success, sticking to your comfort zone may be the biggest mistake you can make.
Why?
Because nothing worth the stress happens in your comfort zone. If you want to move up the ladder, you need to step out and face new challenges. Here are 5 reasons to do exactly that.
1. YOU WILL FAIL. A LOT.
You might consider failure as the opposite of a benefit. But the reality is that this may be the biggest benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone. We say this because the more often you encounter failure, the more learning opportunities you have. The truth is: you will always learn more by failing than you could ever learn by playing it safe.
2. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE UNMATCHED PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.
A simple rule you can always depend on is that success breeds success. As you find yourself overcoming obstacles and hurdles, you will see how quickly every step you take out of your comfort zone brings you a step closer to another opportunity where you are destined for success. Every. Single. Time.
3. YOU WILL DEVELOP YOUR MENTAL FORTITUDE.
When you step out of your comfort zone and go through hard times where risk and uncertainty are very present, you are learning how to make decisions under those circumstances and how to manage the high levels of stress which come with it. In other words, you will build your mental fortitude, become a lot more resilient, and be capable to overcome what life throws at you.
4. YOU WILL FIND MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
If you have been exploring opportunities within the self-imposed barriers of your comfort zone, you have been limiting yourself. By reaching beyond what you’re comfortable with, you will find that doors will open to opportunities you never knew were there.
5. YOU WILL BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE.
While this one may speak for itself, we needed to include it in this list. What was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal, and having confidence in yourself will allow you to expand that comfort zone by stepping out of it again, every time.
Now that you know why you should commit to stepping out your comfort zone, here’s a question you can ponder on to help you take the first step out of it:
What’s the worst that can happen?