Expanding Levels of your Comfort Zone
Purpose
In this exercise, individuals begin to understand their comfort zones, and develop strategies for moving into their discomfort and adventure/panic zones to increase learning, enhance creativity, and unleash their potential.
Background
Most people live in their comfort zones, doing what feels familiar. While this is comfortable, no real learning or creativity takes place. When people move into their discomfort zones, they use their courage and begin to act on new possibilities. It is here that exploration and learning begins to take place. When people push into the adventure/panic zone they take risks, they form new relationships with more trust and more teamwork. This is where new business ideas are born. People who actually get into the adventure/panic zone have great teams with them, and get the support and trust that allows them to venture into new territory. Moving outside our comfort zone creates a sense of being fully alive, of having unlimited options, and of being capable of great creativity.
Set Up
Reproduce the Expanding Comfort Zone Model (below) on the floor in the center of a large room. Use masking tape or ropes to create the concentric circles. Have paper and pens available for all participants. (This exercise can be facilitated with 10-40 participants depending on the size of the room.)
Process
Step One
Show the Expanding Comfort Zone Model to each of the participants. Have a discussion about what each level means. Have each participant individually create a list of items, actions and thoughts for each of their three zones.
For example:
- Comfort Zone
Talking to my team at work, hanging out with my friends and family, fulfilling my daily work responsibilities, etc. - Discomfort Zone
Working with other departments, meeting new people, learning a new job responsibility, giving feedback for improvement, taking a business trip alone, applying for a promotion, interviewing with the CEO, etc. - Adventure/Panic Zone
Going back to college, relocating to a new city, giving a speech to hundreds of people, skydiving, mountain climbing, delivering an impromptu financial presentation, etc.
Step Two
Have several participants step into the Comfort Zone and share some/all of the things they wrote for this zone. (Based on the size of your group and time constraints, you may want to limit the number of items each participant shares.) Next, have the participants step into the Discomfort Zone and share, then the Adventure/Panic Zone and share. Have each individual describe the feelings and emotions that come up when they consider doing something in the Discomfort and Adventure/Panic Zones. Acknowledge that what may be in one person’s “comfort zone” may be in another’s “adventure/panic zone” and vice versa.
Step Three
Debrief using the following questions:
- What keeps us from getting outside our comfort zone?
- What is the worst thing that can happen if you do something outside of your comfort zone? What is the best thing?
- How will you grow and change by doing something outside of your comfort zone? What will you learn?
- What type of teamwork and support is needed at different levels?
- What steps did you take to make something that was once in your adventure or panic zone into part of your current comfort zone?
- What one thing will you do this week outside of your comfort zone?
Conclusion
Being aware of our actions, thoughts and feelings outside of our comfort zone helps us to identify our opportunities for learning, growing and changing. Just as it becomes a habit to operate inside of our comfort zone, we can also make a conscious habit to expand our comfort zone. Develop an action plan and strategy to continue expanding your comfort zone. Revisit this exercise with your team every three to six months to discuss personal changes and new growth opportunities.
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