I don’t know how, but I get sucked into comfort zones, all the time. The good thing though, is that I know when I’m one within a while. But by then, I’m too comfortable to get it out. Of late, I’ve been more proactive about realizing when I’m in a comfort zone and I know when to get out of it.

The last of these comfort zone switches happened around two years ago. It had been four years since I joined Automattic as a Technical Support Engineer and I was loving my job. It was like a dream come true. But I had fallen into a comfort zone without even me realizing it. I wanted change, and I wanted it badly. However, was I ready to do something about it? Not quite.

But then, opportunity came knocking in the form of an internal role change. The comfort zone did not want me to leave. It reminded me of all the pleasant things about my role – but I realized the signs of the comfort zone wanting me to stay. I decided to get out of it, I bit the bullet, and I applied to the new role.

I did not have any expectations that I would make it, but lo and behold, I did.

Looking back, if I did not do what I did back then, I might have fallen victim to the comfort zone, but I did get out of it.

Today, I know a comfort zone when I see one, and I know when to get out of it too. 🙂