Are you where you wanted to be at this stage in your life? A staggering 75% of people report feeling ‘stuck’, both professionally and personally.* As our lives become more comfortable, we often risk staying too long in our comfort zone - that place where familiarity and routine give you a sense of safety and predictability, and make you feel ‘flat’ and disengaged.

How can you step outside of your comfort zone?

1. Get curious and understand what is potentially lacking in your life. Is it because you seem to be passed over for a promotion? Or is your salary so attractive that you find it hard to leave?

2. “𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦.” - Anais Nin. What would you regret not doing in 3 years? What would you spend more time doing if you knew you could not fail?

3. Punch a little above your weight - challenge yourself with tasks that might seem slightly beyond your reach.

4. What used to be a strength of yours that now works against you? - In the Netflix documentary about his life, Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about how the more something has worked for him in the past, the harder he had to work to get rid of it. What new skills and experiences will your future self thank you for?

5. Embrace change as a catalyst: Your willingness to adapt will not only showcase your resilience but also position you as a leader in times of transformation.

6. Network beyond familiar circles: Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't just about tasks; it's also about connections.

7. Take calculated risks if they will expose you to opportunities you might not otherwise get.

8. “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯.” - This advice Sheryl Sandberg was given by a former CEO of Google, as she was contemplating a role there in 2001. As technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives, how can you position yourself for success?

*Source: Oracle, AI@Work, 2021