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Imagine it’s a freezing cold day, and you leave the house at the same time as usual. You arrive at the office and hang your coat on the same hook as always. You open the office door, place your jacket behind your usual chair, and start your computer, entering your password. As always, you check your accumulated emails and tell yourself, “I’ll start in a moment.”

At that moment, you get up to fetch a cup of tea with your usual handle mug. Since you like it strong, you fill more than half of it with tea and add a little hot water. Because your usual sweetener is finished, you have to use a different one from the cafeteria, which doesn’t taste the same, making you a bit uncomfortable.

Just as you’re about to start working, you hear drilling sounds from the wall of the office across. Normally, you would work with the door open, but this time you have to close it, making you a bit more uncomfortable…

Sometimes, even the slightest disruption in our daily routines can make us uneasy or uncomfortable.

Does this ever happen to you?

This stems from having to step out of the comfort zones we’ve created for ourselves.

One of the best examples of this is going to the gym.

If you’re someone who regularly exercises and need to take a break, starting again can seem very difficult, and taking that first step becomes a serious problem. Before you know it, days and weeks have passed.

Whenever you intend to go back, you find excuses and rationalize with a “I’ll go tomorrow” mindset.

We all have areas where we feel comfortable. This is not only true for humans but also for other living beings. However, some of us have very narrow comfort zones, while others have much wider ones.

For example, some people’s comfort zones may be limited to their office desks, while others may encompass their home or city, making them "homebodies" who may not enjoy traveling much.

Actions like leaving the house at the same time, hanging our coat in the same place, and getting tea in the same mug are all parts of our comfort zone.

A comfort zone is a stress-free environment. However, stress, contrary to popular belief, is not always bad. It can also be a motivating force. For example, if the food in your environment runs out, the stress of hunger motivates you to go to the refrigerator. Thus, you leave the comfort of your chair while watching a movie and head to the fridge. The key is to use stress as a motivating force rather than letting it overwhelm you.

So, what lies beyond our comfort zone?

There is a wonderful area full of new discoveries and growth opportunities. This area is known as the “Learning Zone.” To me, it’s actually an “Opportunity Zone.”

You can think of this zone as the area that opens up after leaving the port. Here, we begin to explore the world. (For example, "cross-training" in companies is ideal for opportunity zones.)

Panic Zones, on the other hand, are beyond the Opportunity Zones. If you skip the Opportunity Zones and quickly move to this zone without being sufficiently prepared, panic and anxiety will increase, and the focus will shift from learning to survival.

When trying to save your life, you won’t think much about learning new things. In other words, when you’re flailing in the water in panic, thinking “What am I learning from this experience right now?” is not very likely.

Even if you are to enter this zone, proper planning and going with people truly ready for it are crucial.

Some managers intervene in their employees' comfort zones to promote their development.

This is somewhat like throwing your child into the sea to learn swimming without first letting them practice in a small pool.

If well planned, the child will become a good swimmer in the future. If poorly planned, they may end up fearing the sea, and perhaps even water, for the rest of their life.

When working on pushing your employees out of their comfort zones, consider the following:

• Proper Planning and Organization: Evaluate each employee individually and prepare a plan and development project based on their personal characteristics.
• Motivation and Encouragement: Motivate and encourage employees to step out of their comfort zones.
• Problem-Solving: Give employees problems to solve. This will push them out of their comfort zones and provide opportunities for discovering their own solutions.
• Balance and Distance: Ensure they maintain a balance and distance between the Learning Zone and Panic Zone.
• Guidance and Independence: Maintain both close and distant control. Act as a coach, but allow them to find their own paths.
• Patience: Be patient and allow for gradual development rather than expecting instant results.
• Wouldn’t you like to reflect on your own comfort zones, make a list, and then explore the adventure in the opportunity zones just beyond? Perhaps you might even try applying this to your employees.

Moreover, aren’t the most intriguing sections in stores the “Opportunity Zones”?