The Surprise Zone
Comfort zone. It’s the fuzzy blanket of zones. We have the luxury of exploring a few zones as we move through the world- comfort, fear, learning and growth. Maybe you’ve seen an illustration similar to this one I over-editorialized with emojis.
I shared the distinctions of these zones with my yoga students last week. There’s a saying that yoga begins the moment you want to leave your pose. In that moment, you choose how to respond to your discomfort. The same can really be applied to any uncomfortable situation you encounter.
Moving into the fear zone
I was recently working with a leadership team who shared how well things were going with their staff. The leaders were spending less time putting out fires and responding to issues, and their teams were functioning better than ever. This is a good thing, right?! Well, their reaction suggested otherwise.
They worried if they weren’t solving problems and hustling to keep things running smoothly, were they being effective? Would people perceive them as slackers? How were they adding value if they weren’t busy solving other people’s issues?
It became clear that putting out fires was their comfort zone, and they were experiencing classic “fear zone” effects - worrying what other people were thinking, creating excuses, feeling a dip in their confidence.
This is normal! This is exciting! The equivalent of wanting to get out of a yoga pose!
You have two choices in the fear zone:
Go back to the fuzzy blanket.
Step into the learning zone and see what new things emerge.
One of the sucky but awesome things about being a leader (or any position where people look up to you), is people expect you to push past the fear zone. To them it’s a no-brainer. Your job is to be brave and figure out what you can learn.
A couple leaders on this team decided to create a personal development plan to investigate their discomfort with the fear zone, and even get some one-on-one coaching on it. (A very learning-zone move!)
Good news - there are benefits to moving into the learning zone!
You learn new skills or realizations about yourself
Your previous comfort zone has new boundaries
A byproduct of busting past fear is increased confidence
When you do it, it makes it safe for everyone else to do it
Before you know it, you’re gliding into the growth zone. You have new sights on what’s possible. You set new goals. You realize new aspirations. You might not even recognize your previous comfort zone! (new zone, who dis?)
The Surprise Zone
I led my yoga students through a headstand at the end of their practice and was impressed how they each attempted a version that made sense for them. When they returned to the ground, I asked, “What zone are you in?!”
One student said, “The surprise zone!” and the others laughed and agreed. Although it’s not on the chart, I considered where it might show up. I decided it lies in the little borders between each zone.
It’s in the moments where you find yourself surprised by:
discomfort as you enter the fear zone (like the leadership team)
courage when you enter the learning zone (doing headstands)
new sense of purpose and confidence as you enter the growth zone
Let your surprise be cause for celebration! Those are the moments we recognize what we’re capable of and realize there’s no going back.
