By Andrea Tantillo, DTM, PRM | March 2024

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 100 times – get out of your comfort zone! Why in the world would I want to do that? I’m comfortable there. 

I’m safe in my comfort zone. I have my routine, and I know where everything is and what’s going to happen. Why would I ever want to leave that place?

It’s  perfectly fine to stay in your comfort zone, unless you want to grow. Opportunities to grow, change, or evolve are outside of your comfort zone. Does this mean they are in a “discomfort zone”? Absolutely not. It’s just not as comfortable. It’s like changing out of your pajamas and socks into work clothes and shoes. It’s like sitting up straight instead of slouching or paying attention instead of daydreaming. 

When you do that, when you take yourself out of what’s routine and try something new, you have the opportunity to learn something new and to improve your communication and leadership skills. 

At home, you may be comfortable letting your spouse cook dinner or going out to eat for every meal. You may not be comfortable cooking for yourself. But if you try making a recipe, you might find that it’s fun, or that you like cooking after all. 

If you’re at work, you may be comfortable letting other people volunteer to take the lead on a project or task and just being a worker bee. Raise your hand next time your boss asks for a volunteer leader. You may find out you’re better at it than you think. 

And in Toastmasters, sign up for a meeting role, make eye contact when the Table Topics master is looking for a volunteer, serve as a club or district officer, mentor a new member, choose a Pathways project that doesn’t immediately interest you. You may be comfortable being a spectator or enthusiastic audience member.  But if we take a step outside of our comfort zone, we may find out there’s something else or something more that can help us grow, improve, and evolve as communicators and leader