Is your comfort zone holding you back?
The hidden risks of feeling "too comfortable" at work
👋 Hi, it’s Dipti ! Each week, I explore ideas on leadership, career growth, and navigating change as an ambitious professional.
I thought I was coordinated—until I found myself facing the wrong direction in a room full of fit strangers.
I recently joined a fitness studio as I wanted to add more variety into my workout. The first class I signed up for wasn’t exactly what I had in mind - a step interval class. In this class the instructor typically alternates between high-intensity step choreography and strength training exercises to fast music, while using a platform to jump up and down. It’s a fun way to get your exercise done for the day by combining cardio and strength training. Nervously, I showed up to the class and the instructor gave me a few pointers before we got started. She said “watch others if you don’t follow”. I thought it can’t be that bad…and I’ll pick it up. My confidence comes from years of learning choreographed dances and performing on the stage as a child.
Once the music started, everyone started moving to the music in unison. I was trying to follow along, but it was evident I was the newbie in the class. At one point I found myself facing the opposite direction looking at myself in the mirror while everyone else was facing the other direction. I felt silly, but was focused on learning. When your brain is trying to keep up with the counts there isn’t much room for judgement.
I felt foolish, especially during the killer jumping jacks—on and off the platform. There were women who were older than me in this class, and they were so good and fit. I survived my first class and was even smiling at the end. I had so much fun. Maybe it was all the adrenaline. I went back to the class again in a few weeks, and this time I actually started picking up a few steps. A few of them told me later that they had been doing this for years. It made me feel better knowing that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t seem to get it on day 1,
Walking out of this class, sweaty and slightly embarrassed for not acing the class, I couldn’t help but think - why does this kind of discomfort feel so foreign now? Even though as adults we now have more experience and supposedly more resilience from past experiences. As a child we are open to learning and trying different things. Lately, I have been intentional about doing things that I am uncomfortable or scared of doing. I treat these as micro experiments. The week before this class I wrapped up a 10 week public speaking class, and I’ll write about that in a few weeks. Learning to speak in front of a class full of unknown people, is typically not a thing anyone looks forward. But it has helped me tremendously. Some of these experiments have been harder than I expected.
In Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues, co-author Carole Robin introduces the "15 Percent Rule" to guide individuals in expanding their comfort zones for deeper interpersonal connections. According to her, between our comfort zone and the zone where things feel dangerous is the learning zone. If you can make yourself 15% more uncomfortable or vulnerable, it enables you to learn and grow. The problem is that many of us don’t realize when something becomes a danger zone for us and give up on our first try. Example, if you start going to the gym, you don’t start with the heaviest weights even though your goal is to build muscle. You start small, and for someone like me, just showing up to the gym for consecutive days is my 15%.
Similarly at work, we fall into a known pattern once we get past the initial phase of learning and growing. You know that feeling when you can do your job fairly easily? People and meetings become predictable, your calendar runs like clockwork, and your performance reviews always say you’re doing “good” or “great”?
That’s comfort. It’s not a bad thing—but it might be costing you growth. And at some point comfort is better than growth depending on your phase of life.
If you’ve been at the same company for years, you’ve likely built strong relationships and deep expertise. You’ve earned trust. You know how to get things done. But over time, that familiarity can create a kind of professional autopilot.
Here’s the thing: growth doesn’t happen in cruise control.
Why stepping out matters: Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn’t mean you need to job-hop or start from scratch. It means intentionally doing things that feel unfamiliar, uncertain, or even a little scary. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky called this the ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD)—the space just beyond our current ability, where real learning happens. And here’s what that can look like when applying the 15% rule:
Speaking up in higher-stakes meetings. Maybe you usually defer to others in leadership meetings, but what if you took a clear stance on a strategic issue—even if it feels risky? Or be the one to facilitate one of these high-stakes meetings.
Leading a cross-functional project. If you’re usually the go-to expert in your lane, try leading something that spans teams or departments. You’ll stretch your influence and visibility.
Ask for feedback from a senior leader. Not the safe, surface-level kind. Real, constructive feedback that might sting a little, but will help you grow.
Learning a new skill. If you’ve been curious about a new technology or a method, put in the effort to really study it a little everyday. Apply it for something at work or outside of work. If nothing, it will serve you well when you do decide to change your job.
Each of these steps can feel awkward at first. But awkward is where growth lives. Especially when things at work seem stagnant or as though you’ve plateaued in your career.
One of my coaching clients took the leap and spoke up in a high-stakes strategic meeting, despite her imposter syndrome. It wasn’t perfect—but it got her noticed for the valuable work she had been working hard on. And it improved her confidence to speak up again.
Final thought: You don’t have to leap out of your comfort zone. You can step. One small stretch at a time. The version of you five years from now will thank you for starting today.
Being slightly uncomfortable, whether by choice or not, can push us to achieve goals we never thought possible. We underestimate what we are capable of doing. Take a moment to reflect on when you stepped out of your comfort zone, and how it has helped you.
This week, if you are encouraged by it, take a small uncomfortable step towards something you are curious about.