![]() So there are all sorts of situations in our lives where there are things that we’d like to be able to do– to accomplish a task, to perform a new role, to step into a new job– but they’re outside our comfort zone. I spoke with a goat farmer who was so proud of the goat’s milk soap that she was able to produce, and she was terrified to sell it. And some priests say to themselves, who am I to be in this situation? Like, who am I to be able to do this? I talked with small business owners who are afraid to pitch and promote their ideas, who are uncomfortable with small talk, be it a networking event because maybe they’re introverted. I talked to rabbis and priests who had to step into– now it’s funny, because with clergy, you often don’t necessarily think of the human behind the role– but who have to step into a room, maybe, of people they’ve never met before and deliver last rites. Doctors performing painful procedures on children, and also then having to explain this to the parents. Managers delivering bad news, firing people, performing layoffs, police officers evicting people from their homes or repossessing property. What are some of the other things you’ve heard people talk about that are examples of this kind of thing?ĪNDY MOLINSKY: So in my book Reach, I spoke with– interviewed and also observed– people in so many different professions. And public speaking is sort of an obvious one. SARAH GREEN: I do hear people talk about networking a lot that way. If you think to yourself, if you could erase that anxiety, is that something you’d like to be able to do?Īnd I think that that question, at least for me, is very helpful in distinguishing situations where we’ve rationalized to ourselves, oh, it’s not that important from situations that if we could learn to cope and learn to step outside our comfort zones, might be a great addition to our repertoire. And you’re thinking to yourself, who am I to be here? What can I possibly say? How am I possibly going to enter one of these conversations? And you’re so nervous about it. So for instance, if I were afraid of networking, of stepping into one of those loud rooms, and you walk in and all these people are talking. If all of a sudden you could snap your fingers and making anxiety go away– just as a thought experiment in whatever situation it is– really eliminate it, would this be something that you’d be excited and happy to be able to do? A question that I like to ask myself, and that I like to ask people who I work with on helping to learn to step outside their comfort zones, it’s sort of a thought experiment. My dad likes to say that smart people come up with the smartest excuses.ĪNDY MOLINSKY: Exactly. ![]() SARAH GREEN: So how can you tell if you’re avoiding something that is making you uncomfortable just because it makes you uncomfortable and you’re avoiding it, or because there’s a really good reason?ĪNDY MOLINSKY: I think we’re really good at tricking ourselves and tying ourselves into psychological knots around these issues. Welcome, Andy.ĪNDY MOLINSKY: Thanks, Sarah. The book is called Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence. In his new book, out this week, he explains why that path is so difficult and outlines the way out. That’s the path from your comfort zone to where the magic happens. ![]() – So, like, the magic happens outside your comfort zone.īut there’s something missing here, according to Brandeis International Business School Professor Andy Molinsky. ![]() And it also appeared on the HBO television series Girls. There’s one large circle called your comfort zone and then a smaller circle well outside it called “Where the magic happens.” Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but that hasn’t stopped this doodle from plastering the walls of college campuses, workplaces, maybe even your own cubicle. It’s about getting outside your comfort zone. SARAH GREEN: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. His new book is Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence. Andy Molinsky, professor of organizational behavior at Brandeis International Business School, discusses practical techniques for getting outside of your comfort zone, and how that can develop new capabilities and experiences that can help your career. ![]()
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