What People Don’t Tell You When They Encourage You to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Fifteen percent. That’s how much my “Touchy Feely” business school professor urged my classmates and me to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone. But I had a brilliant idea: if going a little out of my comfort zone was good, going a lot out of my comfort zone would be great.
I had already pushed myself by enrolling in business school despite mostly working in nonprofits and government prior to Stanford. And so, I went hard on the quantitative courses, even though I had almost exclusively studied humanities in college. I eclipsed the 15% recommendation and estimate that I went 60% into the beyond (but with my lack of quant skills, that estimate might be off).
Here’s what I learned:
There’s an opportunity cost. I missed out on the chance to reinforce my strengths and the things that bring me joy, like storytelling, coaching, and teaching.
I was struggling and — worse — not adding value. I had to work twice as hard to be half as good as my classmates who were already experienced in a world that was foreign to me. I became ridden with self-doubt.
I discovered new joys. At the risk of sounding like a nerd, I loved Optimization & Simulation Modeling. I had only an intermediary understanding of Excel before and, therefore, was amazed by the vast power of the software. It was like discovering Tic Tac containers have a built-in dispenser.
First, let’s consider the opportunity cost.
Combine the maxim “go out of your comfort zone” with the trendy growth-mindset theory. I believe it’s a dangerous combination for those who travel far beyond their comfort zone. If you’re like me — stubborn and growth-mindset-oriented — you will spend an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to get better at something that doesn’t let your greatest natural talents shine. You wouldn’t construct a building on a shaky foundation, and you shouldn’t build a career on a foundation that doesn’t capitalize on your competitive advantages.
I wonder: is there a time in life to “give up” on improving your weaknesses and instead focus on your strengths? Personally, I’m becoming more intentional about how much I embrace the growth-mindset, realizing that it can prevent me from “calling it quits” at the right time. It’s not easy; a lot of us ambitious types refuse to fail and react to challenges by redoubling our efforts with blind persistence.
Second, the consistent struggle is real. You still miss the mark despite throwing yourself into the work. You fail despite intensifying your efforts. It’s easy to feel defeated and lose perspective. It’s easy to forget that your classmates are rock stars in their respective domains and that you are not. And so, you castigate yourself for coming up short relative to what they can produce. Recovering from such an acute setback requires reassembling your self-esteem and can take weeks or even months.
Did I struggle in some of my quant-heavy courses? (I’m looking at you, financial accounting.) Of course, I did. Accounting and I are still not on speaking terms after our divorce, but I exercise visitation rights with corporate finance. If I could go back in time, I would take fewer quantitative courses that improved my weaknesses and take more courses that strengthen my foundation and reenergize me. Such a path would have enabled me to optimize the skills that will help me accomplish my long-term goal of leading excellent schools.
Yet, should we forsake any exploration beyond our comfort zone? No. You may discover an activity that sparks your talents, energizes you, draws you, and puts you in the flow zone. If that’s the case, embrace it. This past year, I was yearning for a creative outlet amidst the stress of academics and recruiting. One random Saturday night, some classmates and I took over the MBA lounge, brought down the shades, and blasted instrumental beats. After cranking up the bass, we started freestyle rapping. It was my first time venturing into this type of impromptu, and I soon became addicted to it. We started freestyling for hours every other Saturday night.
When we encourage students to go outside their comfort zone, we usually only highlight the benefits. When we don’t emphasize the risks, many students will journey much farther outside their comfort zones than recommended and end up defeated and failing to build a foundation based on their strengths. Worst of all, they may feel too inadequate to venture outside their comfort zone again.
What I learned from my reckless adventure is the wisdom behind the rule of thumb hammered into me during “Touchy Feely”: go 15 percent beyond your comfort zone and go from a place that plays to your strengths.
