Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Step out of your comfort zone.. and it was from you

AGR (former student)

My response:

Thank you. I feel this is so important not only with big things, but the day-to-day as well. If we’re not afraid to try (and many times fail), our children won’t be afraid to try. New things are discovered and everyone benefits.

More on leaving your comfort zone:

When do you first remember leaving your comfort zone? Was it a roller coaster? Having to give a talk in front of a large group? Asking someone out? Trying a new food? There are so many opportunities each day for each of us to leave that safe spot. So why don’t we do it more often?

There are times when the outcome of leaving your comfort zone is not what you had hoped. The speech didn’t go as well, or the person you asked out just wants to stay friends. But in most “leaving your comfort zone” situations, the reward far outweighs the risk. Those rewards may not always be what you expected, but they are rewards just the same. No matter the outcome, every time you leave your comfort zone you open yourself to the possibility of growth. And it’s that growth that is most important– not the speech, not the new food, not the thrill of a roller coaster.

As adults, we like to think that we don’t see things like joining a team or club where you don’t know anyone, standing up for yourself, introducing yourself to strangers, or going to a new school as that traumatic. Just think a little more about this. I am certain that all those things listed would still cause a pang of anxiety in you, no matter your age. It’s easier to tell someone to be brave than to face it yourself.

To a teenager, these are all huge deals and were terrifying to most of us when we were younger. The dread doesn’t feel as great now because we have had more experiences with things working out (or not working out). Just taking that leap opened us up to even more opportunities and deeper experiences that we never pictured.

Looking back, I can see so many times when I changed something, some times because I wanted to and other times when I had to. In either case, good came from the change. Not always by the hoped for outcome. Many times the good was from the lesson I learned when things didn’t go as planned.

In an earlier essay (The Gift of Failure) I talked about working at the Museum of Science- Boston. That opportunity came about because of me leaving my comfort zone. I had to find a job after needing to take a semester off from college. I wanted something in the science field, but I had no credentials and no previous experience. I cold-called the museum to see what I could do there for a job as someone with no college diploma. Starting in their visitors program, I earned the illustrious job of running an elevator and pointing out where the bathrooms were. That led to so many wonderful things throughout my career. Was that really leaving my comfort zone? Absolutely! 

Leaving my comfort zone wasn’t about running the elevator; it was about making that call. That call opened up a world to me that I never imagined. Taking that chance created a relationship and a philosophy of teaching that defined my entire career. I had no idea reaching out to the Museum of Science would echo throughout my life so wonderfully.  

Things that are uncertain, unfamiliar, and/or challenging? This sounds like a normal day at school! Students are continually outside this zone from the moment the day starts until the last bit of homework is completed. Kids answer questions they aren’t certain about, speak in front of others, tackle subjects they don’t understand fully, work with people they didn’t choose, and often fail at the first step. 

A good teacher doesn’t eliminate that discomfort. The teacher creates an environment where students are willing to experience it. We often assume leaving your comfort zone comes hand in hand with anxiety, it doesn’t have to- especially if there is the structure in place that applauds the effort and highlights the progress along the way. 

“Pressure makes diamonds.” is a common adage that speaks to leaving one’s comfort zone. While this is somewhat true, it is not the whole story. It also takes a lot of time, heat, and other factors. And the pressure, time, and heat required to make a diamond is not the same pressure needed to make a tomato. One setting does not fit all.

When a good teacher takes students out of their comfort zones, the teacher pays attention to the factors that turn discomfort into growth. It’s not leaving the zone that is most important. It’s the growth. The teacher knows when to increase the pressure, or decrease the heat; when to limit the time or extend it. They know if they are making diamonds or growing tomatoes. 

I spent my career encouraging students to step outside their comfort zones. And these essays are evidence that I am still doing this! Stepping outside your comfort zone allows for growth no matter your age.  Things that make it uncomfortable for me are 

• I am a science teacher, not an English teacher.
• I’m putting thoughts and opinions down for everyone to see, and, in the back of my mind, wondering how they will judge me for them.
• I’m doing something that I know many people are much better than me at.

In this past year I’ve been able to see my writing, my ability to organize my thoughts, and my communication skills all improve. I have grown through this whole process even though it was uncomfortable at times. Writing these has been both growing diamonds and tomatoes! And at times, I didn’t know which I was doing when.