Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone for Personal and Professional Growth

I was sorting my wardrobe over the weekend and found a load of tops in the ‘summer’ box.

It turns out that most of them had stripes. So when I hung out the washing today, it looked like a stripey parade on the line. I do love a stripey top!

It made me pause. How many other things do we default to without realising?

Same tops.
Same routines.
Same roles we play in meetings and conversations.

In her book The He’Art of Thriving, Kimberley Hare talks about the “sushi bar of thought,” where ideas drift past like little plates on a conveyor belt. Most of the time, we grab the same ones without question because they’re familiar, safe, and comfortable.

That’s how comfort zones work. They look like habits.

The leader who always has the answer.
The team member who never speaks unless invited.
The presenter who always needs a script to feel in control.

We stick with what’s comfortable because it’s efficient. But it also limits what’s possible.

In coaching, growth often starts with a simple shift: noticing. Noticing your defaults. Pausing before you pick up the usual thought, response, or behaviour and choosing something different.

Next Steps: Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

We all have our “default stripes” that we wear every day, whether that’s a way we communicate, a routine, or a role we automatically step into in meetings. And just like my wardrobe, it can feel safe and even a little easy to keep going with what’s familiar. But there’s a risk of staying stuck in that comfort zone without realizing it.

The real growth happens when we take a step outside that zone. It doesn’t have to be a big, bold move; just a small shift can make a world of difference. Here’s how you can start:

1. Notice your defaults.
   Are there conversations you avoid? Are there patterns in meetings where you fall into a specific role, like the quiet observer or the one who always takes charge? Notice when these default behaviours pop up and pause for a moment.
2. Choose a different response.
   If you’re the one who always answers the questions, try stepping back and letting someone else lead. If you tend to stay quiet in meetings, practice speaking up with one small idea. Even the smallest shift can have a huge impact.
3. Make it a habit.
   The more you step outside your comfort zone, the easier it becomes. Just like with the stripey tops, once you’ve chosen a different path once, it gets easier to do it again. Soon, what felt unfamiliar becomes just another choice.

Growth doesn’t always come from dramatic change. It starts with a simple decision to do things differently. So, I’m inviting you to try it:

Say the thing.
Ask the question.
Try it a different way.

Because that’s how change starts. Not with a grand gesture, but with one simple step outside the stripes.

Join in the conversation on LinkedIn.