Through one of my friends at work, I got to know about a particular team. I was told that the nature of work was quite interesting and was not as hectic when compared to the other teams. The timings were set and there was hardly a need to stretch beyond the schedule or work on weekends for that matter.
I thought this was such an ideal team to work in. You tell people in IT that they don’t have to work for long hours or work on weekends and I’m sure you’d see them all charged up and happy like a child with a candy. One possible disadvantage was that, there was considerable process work (popularly known as excel sheet work) apart from the actual work. Why I am calling it a disadvantage is because 1. It is boring and 2. Once you start with one set of process work, you get absorbed into more and more of it. Finally 2 years later if you tell people you were working on excel sheets (at a relatively lower position in the corporate hierarchy) you aren’t considered a good resource.
So my friend was in one such team and post the initial honeymoon period of a year and a half, she began to get restless. She was bored with doing the same thing over and again and came to know that she would still be doing the same thing a few years down the lane. She decided it was time to move. She was initially hesitant as she loved the routine and it gave her time to concentrate on her music and it was all going on smoothly. But after a few weeks of contemplation, she decided she was not going to give comfort and familiarity as an excuse to get stuck at a point without future prospects.
How many of us have been in such situations? We have a routine, we might hate it but there is something comforting about not being overly surprised every day. When we realize we’re hitting a dead-end, we look at how comfortable the routine is and how our schedule is set and how things might not be the same if we opted for a change. How many of us have had to sacrifice good opportunities (not just regarding work) just because we were scared to come out of the comfort zone. How many times have we held back because, as much as we wanted change we thought we wouldn’t be able to handle it. But wait, who comes to live knowing every detail? Aren’t we supposed to learn on the go?
If things are going on fine, you probably might not have to worry about moving on. But if they aren’t, and you are too comfortable with the current setup, remember – Life begins at the end of our comfort zone. So go out, explore and make mistakes (but don’t be reckless). We are here for that. We aren’t perfect and that’s absolutely fine. What fun it is if things go well all the time, when do we get to learn!
Have you been in any such situation where you were forced to or voluntarily came out of your comfort zone? Do share your thoughts.
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As The Mind Wanders 
Completely agree with you Ashwini.. Infact its after coming out / pushed out of our comfort zones we realize our true potential . great writeup around the quote 🙂
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So true !!!
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But why not make reckless mistakes. It's more fun 🙂
Destination Infinity
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Ashwani, a thoughtful piece Ashwini. It is very difficult to move out of the comfort zone of a well paying job, but sometimes the mundane-ness gets on to you, you do take a plunge…It is always difficult to take the plunge whichever level of corporate hierarchy you are in. Nonetheless, if one feels the need to explore one's calling, one has to step out. 🙂
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I was lucky that during my entire career I never got to do a similar project second time, so that sums up for going out of comfort zone:)
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If the job pays well, some people will be happy to live within the comfort zone, For example the airline pilots. In fact, it is one of the most boring jobs.
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Lots of people are comfortable in a rut, but that's definitely not where you want to be if you wish to stay in the workforce. I know too many people who made the mistake of staying in a position who were later declared redundant and moved out the company!
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So true – trying new things widens our horizons and helps us develop.
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True. It gives us a chance to explore what we've capable of. Thanks Kokila 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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Making mistakes is fun, but I'm really not sure about reckless decisions. I think I'm more of the cautious kind even while experimenting 🙂
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Yes, if you know things will work out fine being where you are, then it's ok. But when you know things arent going well, we need to take that decision. Thank you Somali 🙂
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That's amazing. That's exactly what I'm trying to do. I'm going to complete 4 years in a few months and I've just taken up my 3rd role at work. 3rd new role 🙂
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The grass is always greener at the other side! Sigh.
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Bang on! That's exactly what I'm worried about – being considered redundant. That was one of the main reasons I decided to switch too.
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Definitely. We'd get to know something about ourselves that we might not have been aware of!
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I agree with you, Ashwini. When we are out of our comfort zones, it becomes an acid test for our ability and potential… 🙂
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I vouch for that 100% get out of comfort zone .. yes . I have learnt it tooo in the recent few months well lets say a year now and I am enjoying and sometimes kicking myself why did i not do it earlier in life ..
Bikram's
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No, I am one of those who want to do something new every now and then. So much so I even think of changing the way I set kitchen or closet. Concept of comfort zone eludes me.
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I agree with this completely! Coming out of comfort zones is not easy. There are so many apprehensions, fear etc. But once you do that you realize that, it's only the first few steps are a bit shaky but very soon, the new thing comes in your comfort zone too. Until and unless you widen your comfort zone, you will never grow. So, yes, life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
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Testing times, but it might take us somewhere better than where we were! 🙂
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Tell me about it Bikram. I was in one such situation recently and I'm enjoying how I have to start everything from scratch and I'm actually loving it. I wonder why I did not take this decision earlier.
And how have you been? Long time :-). All ok?
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Good for you. You should consider yourself lucky, coz you have no idea what a comfort zone can do to you even when you're completely aware of its implications!
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All said and done, it is extremely difficult to let go of the comforts to do something which might turn our world upside down. And yes, as you wonderfully mentioned we get a better idea of things after a few shaky steps and then yes that becomes another comfort zone :-). Thanks for the comments Shilpa 🙂
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