I am a creature of habit. I have routines that I enjoy, for reasons I do not totally understand. I enjoy my morning coffee and a run outdoors on a regular basis. These routines bring me comfort and help my day go smoothly.

I also create situations that put me outside my comfort zone. In order to be successful, I know I need to do things that make me uncomfortable. I need to talk to strangers, tackle problems of unknown complexity and take educated risks when I provide my services to my clients. I work to balance being comfortable and uncomfortable.

For example, I’ve made a habit of traveling to places that are out of my typical vacation comfort zone. I have taken trips to Hong Kong and Japan where communication would be much more difficult than visiting an English speaking country. My family and I often head to the grocery store to explore the “normal” things in new countries like candy, cookies and instant noodles. Traveling is one way I have put myself in safe yet uncomfortable positions.

As you tackle a new skill, you will be bad before you can be good. As an experienced professional, you are probably good at many things expected of you. You may be uncomfortable doing something at which you may fail. The best professionals are always learning something new, always willing to be the beginner.

Growth is uncomfortable. I have found it useful to volunteer for challenges outside my comfort zone. I recall volunteering to help develop a sales presentation for a relaunch of product. As technical leader, this work was out of my typical job responsibility. I had exposure to what was expected, and I wanted the opportunity to learn how these presentations were developed and refined so I put myself in the middle of the process.

Take, for example, delivering a product at a new scale. You may not have experience with serving five times as many customers with your product. You probably do not have direct historical experience, and charting a path through this new volume is uncomfortable. Your CEO asks you when you can deliver to ten times more clients, what is your initial reaction?

Our desire to be comfortable will unconsciously steer us to do things that we have done before. We become familiar with what we are great at doing. Not everything we do has be uncomfortable. If we do not consider how often we are uncomfortable, we may unknowingly limit our own capability.

How often do you place yourself in an uncomfortable situation intentionally?

Consider the balance of comfort and discomfort in your day, week, month. Are you challenging yourself to be uncomfortable? Do you find opportunities to work outside your comfort zone? With practice your response to uncomfortable situations can be excitement and embrace.