I’m not a big fan of change, even though typically the end results are beneficial to some part of my life. Still, I like being wrapped in my comfort zone like a warm, familiar blanket you’ve had hanging around for years.
But that resistance can oftentimes rob you of opportunities, which may exist outside the safe haven you’ve created in your own little world. Opportunities which might establish new relationships, foster new careers and open your mind to new ideas you’ve been resistant to embrace.
When you think about it logically, every decision we make poses some kind of risk to our routine. An upheaval of our day-to-day practices for a greater unknown, which many times can frighten even the most courageous of individuals.
One such area has always been my career. For some starting a new job is filled with hope and excitement, but for me it’s always been nothing more than anxiety and stress. Let’s face it, there’s both a personal and professional ramp up time associated with starting in a new company and it can often be paralyzing.
But I’m starting to understand that taking risks and making changes doesn’t always have to be so scary.
George Eliot once said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
And so after six years at my current job and a great deal of soul searching, I’m breaking free of my comfort zone and moving to a new company – taking on a completely new role in the organization. Scary? You bet! But it doesn’t have to be completely.
Yes, any new experience is riddled with some anxiety or nervousness. But I’ve learned that the key is not to let it cripple you emotionally – to accept the awkwardness of the moment and let the feelings of inadequacy drift on by.
Only then can you say you’re secure in your skills and abilities and most of all, in yourself.
Gandhi once said, “Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves.”
I suppose that’s what I’ll be doing over the next few months – remaking myself outside my comfort zone. But even when faced with a new, unfamiliar environment, as long as you remain true to the person you’ve always been, anything is possible.
