Comfort Zone Error

In his latest book The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin makes a helpful distinction between our comfort zone and our safety zone.

There is usually quite a distance (i.e. our safety zone) between the end of our comfort zone and the start of danger. We act as if there is little distance at all and so stay well inside our comfort zone.

Next time you catch yourself saying, “Oh, that’s just who I am,” or “That is not something I can do,” please pause.

Chances are that you are confusing the zones. Continued work in your comfort zone will keep delivering to you the results you keep seeing and leave you wondering why they don’t change.

Take a step outside your comfort zone. There is safety there even if you have feared there is not.

 

In your corner,

Mike

PS: I was going to title this, “S-s-s-s  A-a-a-a  F-f-f-f  E-e-e-e  T-t-t-t  Y-y-y-y Zone” à la Men Without Hats. But I chickened out. 😉

2 thoughts on “Comfort Zone Error

  1. Brilliant, Mike! Now I suddenly see how self confidence and success are linked: working outside of your comfort zone, but still within your safety zone, requires self confidence, but is really the only route to rapid growth in your skills, or even to achievements that are commensurate with your existing skills.

    1. Thank you and yes! Another related notion is vulnerability. Confidence lets me take a step outside comfort into vulnerability. Confidence tells me that I can handle being vulnerable. Being vulnerable in my safety zone boosts my confidence. And so on.

Leave a Reply