Waaay Out Of My Comfort Zone In My Career, But That Doesn't Translate Into $$$ ?

[Oleg F]

A common (perhaps heavily overused?) self-development advice is
Step out of your comfort zone
It's often claimed, that during the times of "stepping out of your comfort zone" great riches and great self-improvement will occur.

I know a number of people (myself included) who are waaaaay out of our comfort zone in our careers.
Twitching face muscles from stress, crying in the bathroom, giving presentations about things you strongly disagree with but cannot speak out due to Political Correctness, being bullied by coworkers, studying  for tests you find absolutely no interest in - are some of the things I personally know people who deal with on a regular basis.

I deal with this myself. I am like so far OUTSIDE of my comfort zone in my career. Yet, my pay at my job is exactly the industry average for my location. I am blessed to have other streams of income BUT being outside your comfort zone DOES NOT MAKE YOU MONEY. It's all a lie

[Nahm]

@Oleg F Dude. Are you in the Seaorg or something? Start looking for somewhere else to work. 

I don't think you are using the comfort zone term in it's traditional reference. 

[Oleg F]

Zen and Enlightenment doesn't pay your medical bill and your property taxes in the US of A.

You cannot live without material goods. Try living outside without a house.
Even the most basic living conditions require a certain level of income to support a family.

Try buying an old car. You still have to take it to a repair shop to do all maintenance it needs for the mileage it has, still have to pay mandatory vehicle insurance, registration, inspection. Still have tires/brakes/fluids to replace and the vehicle will depreciate if you drive it.

I don't see anything wrong with getting a raise at work? In most cases, it's not like you are taking money away from someone else. And even if you are - it doesn't matter, maybe it's for their own benefit (you really don't know)

Edited February 27, 2017 by Oleg F

[Loreena]

@Oleg F you made a lot of valid points in your post. I myself never totally grasped what moving out of the comfort zone really meant. If you take the traditional viewpoint, it means getting over your fears and doing things you normally wouldn't do. This helps in overcoming basic challenges. 

A very simple example can be the case of stage fright. A lot of people who have it cannot do jobs that don't require you to do much but people avoid them simply out of fear and avoidance. When they push themselves a little out of their comfort zone, they easily get rid of the fear. Once they get a hang of it, they can  easily manage jobs they previously considered difficult or even impossible. This definitely makes a significant difference to their income and lifestyle. I think that's what it is all about. It's only applicable within a margin. 

Your income and pay depends on so many legitimate and practical factors other than just your performance and abilities. There are so many people out there who perform so well in their and yet get paid only peanuts. If the general economic conditions are not very supportive, you can't do much. It's not a vending machine. There is no guarantee of outcome. There are many talented and hardworking people on this planet struggling to  make  ends meet. 

This is precisely the reason why people opt out of corporate slavery and start their own businesses. If they invest the same effort and energy as they did in their job, into their businesses, they earn much more. 

My personal perspective is this- push out of your comfort zone but only to the extent to which it seems practically feasible and worthwhile. If it negatively impacting your health, it's not worth it. Your should never sacrifice health for anything. If pursuing something that is aligned to your comfort zone pays you well then do it. The final purpose of everything is looking after your own well-being. So do that which works out for you, irrespective of other's opinions. My personal motto for the past few years has been - whatever works works!!! Don't care what people think. Because they are not you. You are you.  

Some people push themselves far out of their comfort zones to explore new things and get new experiences through travel and adventures. They don't mind losing their health because for them the final rewards are simply irresistible. To each his own. 

Just do whatever fits into your paradigm. Rest is gibberish.