Leaving your comfort zone at work can be an incredibly powerful thing. Comfort zones are great; it’s routine, it’s familiar, but it’s very predictable as well. You don’t grow if you’re in your comfort zone. Instead, you’re just doing the same thing every day in repetition. This will leave you in a rut; you’ll eventually become less productive and less creative.
It means that you’ll lose all of your passion within time. But if you want to grow and make changes, especially within your career, you’re going to have to break down those barriers and step outside of them. These are some tips for allowing yourself the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone within your career.
Ask for new work and responsibilities
It never hurts to ask your employer if you can have a challenge. Most of the time, they’ll happily oblige. The goal of asking for new work and responsibilities isn’t about taking on more work or more hours, and it’s being introduced to something new. Instead, the goal is to break your current routine; it’s helpful to be challenged in what you’re doing.
Try and ask your coworkers if they need help, ask if you can lead a project, or even ask if you can take on a new position. Employers find it very enlightening when their employees want to experience something new. However, this can potentially lead you to the rabbit hole of finding new work opportunities, interacting with new technologies such as automation, and meeting new people.
Search for a new job
While some employers are more than happy to help give employees new challenges and new responsibilities, not all employers are like that. Some genuinely don’t care about the growth and development of their employees. Once you pick up this tell-tale sign from your employer, know that it’s a major red flag. So what can be done if your employer isn’t going to help you with your career growth?
Then the best course of action would be to find a new job. Some people stay at their jobs because they want to stay in their comfort zone, others stay because they believe they won’t be able to find anything else. It’s best to test yourself and push your boundaries by hunting for a new job. There are so many positions, such as driving refrigerated semi-trucks weekly, working as a receptionist, or even going back to school for a new career. Don’t be afraid of change, and don’t be afraid of hunting for a new job.
Stay open to learning
Nowadays, if you want to ensure that you stay on top of your career field, you’re going to have to remain educated continuously. This will include learning new technologies such as AI tools, but this goes even further, such as taking courses and constantly staying up to date. Maybe learning something new seems intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. By learning more, you’re allowing yourself to break away more and more from your comfort zone.
