How Your Comfort Zone Holds You Back

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When building a profitable practice, you must be comfortable being uncomfortable. How was your day at work? Are you sure of what you’re doing? Maybe there are a few demands on you, and your job seems easy without stress, without challenge. Getting into the comfort zone at work may seem great at first glance, but have you truly considered just how much being there can impact your career, overall? You might want to think about things if your job seems particularly stable, boring, or even stagnant.

Here are six ways your comfort zone holds you back in your career:

You’re not building connections.

It might seem uncomfortable to constantly be networking. But what if you stop? The problem is that you can never have a network that is perfect as it is. People change positions all the time. The person who was the perfect connection last year might not even be at the same company now. Pushing yourself to meet new people is a definite must if you want to get ahead.

You’re not adapting to change.

Don’t be the one person who refuses to accept the new policy or procedure. Sure, there is some benefit to doing things the old way. You certainly know the steps and the outcomes. At the same time, ignoring new ideas is a surefire way to miss out. Discomfort breeds adaptability, making it easier to learn new ways very quickly.

You’re lacking creativity.

It’s in those times when we face uncomfortable situations where we are forced to think quickly to get through them. This kind of training shows when it comes time to be creative in the workplace. If you’re already well used to coming up with solutions on the fly, you’ll be ahead of the game.

You’re too cautious.

Failure is nothing but discomfort. If you’re adamant about staying in your comfort zone, you’re never going to risk anything, which might lead to disaster. This will make you cautious to not want to try new things. Here’s a tip: Most workplaces would rather you try and fail, thereby learning something new rather than never trying at all.

You’re not leading well.

Taking charge of a project requires being able to confront conflict and resolve situations as they arise. If you’re avoiding discomfort, you’ll find yourself avoiding these confrontations and not working to solve things in the best interests of the company or those involved. Instead, you’ll be more likely to resolve things to return to your comfort zone in the fastest way possible.

You’re not making suggestions.

The comfort zone loves the status quo. Why would you change anything? Discomfort leads you to make suggestions when you see the potential to do things in better ways. This initiative is the kind of thing that gets you noticed.

The plain and simple truth is this: If you want to advance and build a profitable practice and really make a difference, you will have to embrace discomfort from time to time. After all, it’s this kind of striving that leads to success.

I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract or your dreams.

Stepping out of your comfort zone means trying something new. Here are nine positive outcomes of trying new things.

Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com