I saw this the other day. Our zone of comfort (first circle) is where we feel safe and comfortable, our home, our couch .. our bed. This is where we will grow fat and someday die. As we move into the fear and learning zone, we will do so with trepidation because we are potentially setting ourselves up to criticism (mocking) and judgment. After we pass though, we will understand and appreciate that in order to advance we will have to be uncomfortable. My friend who got a divorce years ago after 20 years of marriage, picked up and moved to a big city where she knew no-one and started anew - and did so with much fear. However, she made new friends and transformed her life. She is now moving onto the next chapter -- moving again somewhere else with her new outlook and knowledge.
We talked about her time in the big city; “it was enlightening and transformational. My comfort zone, even though I was unhappy, was my marriage. My marital change (divorce) threw me into the fear zone and the last several years in the learning zone were spent on defining how to be me again. I’m embracing the new growth zone and I’m excited for my new adventures”.
I spend a lot of time with leaders in healthcare as well as community leaders. I remember when my dad lived in Clarion -- he used to tell me that he’d be fine if Clarion didn’t grow and stayed exactly the same. Unfortunately the comfort zone is where we get fat and will eventually die SO unless we figure out how to transition to the growth zone, this is our destiny. I met with several hospitals last week and they talked of the future and becoming less than they are now. (hmm, perhaps we can get even more comfortable? Die sooner?) There was talk of reducing their hospital to strictly outpatient and ER for a higher reimbursement from Medicare. … So those folks in your community who worked hard to raise money so you could build a new hospital are going to happy about you closing all the hospital inpatient rooms? (good luck with that ) WE will be “acquiring new skills, extending our comfort zones and dealing creatively in solving issues and problems”. As we move solidly into growth, we will live our best life as ISH and conquer new horizons.
You want to be successful? Get good with being uncomfortable. Success doesn’t come without hard work and a blister or two.
