Get Out of Your Comfort Zone for Work Success

by Maria Bashi · May 12, 2020

While at work, you likely spend a great deal of energy to get a deadline done and show the boss that you deserve a promotion. But when it comes to taking risks, you might avoid them because of the discomfort. While that’s natural, now is the time to step out of your comfort zone to help climb the career ladder, and here’s how you can do that.

Feel More Confident

Being confident in your abilities is essential to advance your career, no matter the industry. To grow your self-worth involves taking on new challenges. When you overcome them, you will realize you’re strong and that you can take on more things in the future. Set goals and accomplish them!

Try Something New in Your Personal Life

Step outside of your comfort zone when not at work and take the confidence you gain with you back to the workplace. For example, you might join a dance class.

Starting a new sport takes courage and can help you become more in tune with your body. Feel awkward? Everyone does when they start. If you get cold, wear leg warmers to feel warmer without restricting your dance movements. When you think about it for a moment, there’s always a way to move beyond the excuses.

Think about What Success Means to You

Perhaps you want to be a nursing leader or a doctor. Or, you want to have an office of your own. Whatever is your definition of success, you must define it before you can achieve it.

Then, visualize yourself achieving success. When you do so, then you are more likely to get there because you believe in yourself.

Voice Your Opinion

When in a meeting, speak up and say how you feel about the topic on the table. You have every right to state your opinion, regardless of gender, age, race, or anything else.

As you speak up more, you’ll find it easier to do so. Raising valid points in meetings, co-workers, and your supervisor can also help you get noticed by those who handle job promotions. You’ll also feel like you are contributing to a productive workplace.

Become Comfortable with Challenges

Rather than avoiding challenges, start to embrace them. Feel how your pulse races when you try something new, whether it’s offering to take on a new project in the office or volunteering at a shelter for the first time.

Start to get more comfortable with this feeling of discomfort. One way to do so is to think about the great things that can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone.

Write Down Your Experiences

As you try new things, make notes about them in a journal. If you’re not sure when to journal, there’s no wrong time to do so. Write down how you feel before doing the activity, as well as during and after it.

Read back through what you’ve written and feel empowered by how you rose to the task. Keeping this journal will help you remind you of the good things to come when you take risks.