Ways to Re-Think Your Professional Perspective & Move Ahead with New Goals  

This past March, I was fortunate to be able to attend a Professional Women’s Conference in San Francisco, California. It was a wonderful experience to be with so many dynamic women. The speakers were exceptional and, as I listened throughout the day, they all seemed to be uniting to provide me a much needed message, with Venus Williams saying it best in her keynote: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” No matter where a person is in their career or life, this is a wonderful reminder: the idea that complacency, or thinking you’ve learned all there is to know about your profession or role, should be avoided.

Confronting an Aversion to Change

Somewhere along my professional journey, I had gotten used to being successful and…well, comfortable. Me! The dynamic go-getter and girl wonder had now been lulled into keeping the status quo. Of course there have been periods of upheaval in my professional life such as job changes and layoffs, etc. But I had been with my current employer longer than any other, working in my area of expertise, and I had become satisfied and easygoing regarding how things stood. This had evolved into a false sense of security of thinking I knew how things worked, and who to talk to for questions and information. And then the world changed and I was caught flat-footed.

So…after listening to the dynamic speakers, and doing much needed inner searching, I realized that by being complacent, I was actually suffocating my creativity and self-confidence, and, consequently, undermining my career. I was not allowing myself to grow and flourish, but rather was being protective and withdrawn (very unlike me). I had started to view purposely moving outside my comfort zone into the realm of discomfort as a bad thing – i.e. as an indicator I might be lacking in some way. The result of this perspective? I was unwittingly sabotaging my self-confidence and inclination for professional, go-getting risk.

Certainly, I had all the rationalizations, blaming and excuses: I felt I needed to stay “safe” for many different reasons, ranging from nursing health challenges, to family needs, to listening to the internal  phrases that said “I do not know what I want to do professionally” or “Maybe taking a break would be good.” All these are valid situations and create a vague viewpoint that can work for a finite period of time, under specific circumstances. But a problem arises when this approach becomes a crutch.  For the longer- term, we need to open up to life, stretch ourselves to stay challenged, and thrive. This is important not only for career, but for everyday life.

Gentle but Powerful Reminders about Seeking Adventure

So the conference helped clear my hazy view and enabled me to see what I was doing to myself, and what I needed to change. The inspiring presentations and stories from the other women resonated with me: I kept hearing the same message repeated – “Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable every day.”  I now realize that being uncomfortable is definitely an indicator. A good indicator. I have changed my perspective and understand that it is telling me, not that I am necessarily lacking anything, but that I am ready for new adventures – be they small or large.

I also made a commitment to myself to grow my discomfort tolerance and even seek it out. Now when I am presented an opportunity and I start to get that “feeling” that I may want to sit on the sidelines, I smile to myself. I am learning to read the signs of when I need to shake myself up a bit.  The world is such a dynamic place and I am increasingly excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for me. I have even remembered a phrase from Shakespeare that my father used to often say to me: “Catherine, the world is your oyster.” How could I have forgotten that and become complacent? Embracing the unknown and opportunity is much more fun than “comfort” and settling, especially when we do not have all the answers but are willing to explore, experiment, and try new things.

Practical Tips for Tweaking Your Life Goals

People can learn from my mistakes. Here are a few lessons learned that can help avoid a repeat of staying too long in the “comfort zone”:

• Listen to the inner voice. If it is saying it needs new challenges, this can be a good thing if one pays attention to it.
• Know your (specific) objective. This will help focus your activities and efforts. Objectives could include money matters, special skills building, less commute or more time with the kids.
• Think about more than just switching jobs. There are lots of opportunities to participate, learn and grow with volunteering, as well with churches, schools and professional groups.
• Follow your passion. Time is precious, and it is important to spend it on activities or work that have meaning and to which one is committed.
• Learn in place. One’s present situation may have new opportunities when looked at with a fresh point of view.
• Always keep a positive and optimistic attitude. Always!

So Venus rightly told us in her keynote that we must “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”  Going forward, I have embraced her wisdom — and even added my own twist by flipping her advice around to create my new mantra: “Get uncomfortable being comfortable.”