Are You Stuck in Your Comfort Zone?

Article that appeared in The New Leaf ™.

It's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone, and it is very costly because when we limit possibilities to what is comfortable, we stop learning. A living organism that stops learning dies. Period. End of story.

It doesn't stop there. When we get stuck in our comfort zone, we stop expecting others to learn either, and that means we avoid delegating tasks or sharing responsibility with anyone who does not already know more than enough for the task at hand. Our stuckness begins to permeate our department, team or organization.

The remedy is to step outside of our comfort zones on a regular basis. Here's how.

Identify one thing you have been putting off due to lack of comfort with your level of competence and go to work on it. Remember, you are shifting from being a stuck know-it-all to being a dynamic, risk-taking learner. This makes the people, events and institutions around you teachersóvehicles for your learning. It also makes you a leader, by the way, because it tells everyone in your circle of influence that you know it is more powerful to learn than to stagnate.

The key to successfully stepping out of your comfort zone is asking yourself at every turn: "Who am I being?" Recommit on a daily basis (hourly, if need be) to being a learner rather than a knower. Every time you renew your commitment you are strengthening your character and expanding your learning skills. That's a good thing.