“All dreams are outside of our comfort zone. Leaving our comfort zone is the price we must pay to achieve them” – Steve Jobs

To be honest- I have never written a blog before, so that is my inspiration for this post. I am stepping out of my comfort zone, in the hopes of improving my communication skills by exploring opportunities in this new outlet (and pleasing my boss).

We have all experienced a fresh start at some point in our lives, whether it was moving away to college, to a new town, or even a new country. Whenever you look back on one of these experiences you forget about how uncomfortable that change was at first. I remember how uncomfortable I was just moving from middle school to high school, even though I had all of my friends moving up with me. The combination of the older kids and the new environment, with teachers expecting so much more from me, was a lot to take in. Fast forward 6 years and I am moving across the world by myself to live with a group of individuals that I have never met before.

So what changed? What makes us want to step out of our comfort zone? We do it because we are told to. Because everyone always tells us, “This is how you grow; this is how you can become a better person”. And as cliché as it sounds; this almost always rings true. If it turns out to be a great experience, you grow. If it is a terrible experience, you learn from it, and you grow. Everything we experience changes us and shapes us into who we are today and who we are going to become tomorrow.

Thinking back to the airport on the day that I moved to Australia, I distinctly remember the moment after I hugged my mom goodbye and I turned around and began to walk away. I remember vividly the feeling of panic that immediately ensued. This was the moment I officially stepped out of my comfort zone. This was the most miserable and also the most exhilarating moment of my experience abroad, and maybe one of the scarier things I have experienced in my life (even more so than free falling from 14,000 feet). This moment of panic, was a moment that changed my life, I would not trade my experiences abroad for anything in the world. Without experiencing this uncomfortable beginning, I would never had made such great friends and had so many incredible experiences.

These are the types of experiences that are applicable to everything we do in life. They change us, who we are and how we see the world around us. We all have our own comfort zone- the areas in our lives where we feel safe, in control, and at ease. It could be our home, our job, our school, pretty much anything. Stepping out of our comfort zone may never get easier; the panicky, unsure feelings may never go away, but we embrace these feelings once we realize how rewarding these experiences can be.

The comfort zone is not just something that is found in your personal life, it is extremely relevant to your career. And I am not the only one who feels this way- Forbes does too (Forbes Article). If you find yourself in career with little room for growth, if you find yourself interested in another industry or position, go for it! Take a chance and try something new. This is YOUR life, so do what you have to in order to advance in your career, or if your current career path is not making you happy; try out something else. Chase after new opportunities and make the most of the ones that are given to you. If you are too afraid to step out of your comfort zone you will miss out on countless promotions, raises, or career moves.

I know, I make it sound so easy, “Just go for it”, but believe me I know it’s not as easy as it seems. So what can we do to make these changes happen? Here are a few suggestions…

 Keep your eyes open: Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, new job openings etc. These things can be easy to miss- so make sure you are aware of what is going on in the world around you.

Networking: Meet new people! Put yourself out there and try to make as many friends as possible (preferably those in high places). Welcome any and all into your circle. These connections can inform you of new opportunities and even get your foot in the door with a recommendation or introduction.

Enlist your own personal cheerleader: Whether it is your spouse, significant other, sibling, parent, or friend. This person could be anyone, anyone who you can talk to about your insecurities and fears and will be by your side for the long haul. This is the kind of person you need to boost your confidence and help to encourage and support you on your new journey.

When you find yourself facing a difficult decision or looking for some new adventure, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and leap. Have faith in yourself and in your ability to adapt and succeed in a new environment. It could be a new career move or a more personal experience. Whatever it is- take the challenges as they come and embrace the changes and new experiences you are having. This is the only way you will ever truly find out what you are capable of. By pushing your limits you find out what you can really do and maybe even some things that you can’t. In either one of these scenarios you benefit. The outcome is not the most important thing (although it may seem it at the time). It is the experience that is most valuable and it is the experience and lessons learned that you will carry with you into the future. As the old adage goes- the lessons learned along the way, you keep forever.

I would like to acknowledge all of my friends in Gold Coast, Australia and my boss Tony Pivirotto for the inspiration to write this post.

– Katie Campbell, Bryant University Class of 2016