In Paulo Coelho’s novel the Alchemist, Santiago is a shepherd who decides to pursue a recurring dream in search of a treasure that lays hidden in the pyramids of Egypt. He embarks onto a journey full of unknowns, leaving behind his sheep, his parents, a girl and the good and stable life of the Spanish countryside. Santiago is content with his life, he is educated and has accumulated wealth. However, when he comes to learn that his ‘Personal Legend’ (his destiny) is to travel and explore new lands, this intense desire propels him to chase the dream.
The story of Santiago teaches us many lessons; resilience, perseverance, self-growth and purpose. This was only possible because he left the comfort of his routine life and pursued on a life of purpose, adventure and fulfillment.
When you are within the zone of comfort, you feel protected, secure, everything seems familiar. You are surrounded by a circle of friends, people know you and there is a high sense of belonging. You know how “to get around in town”. There is a supporting cast surrounding you, ready to be deployed. Ease has been earned or inherited, any perceived obstacle or roadblock can be figured out with relative minor difficulty.
Getting out of the comfort zone is generally not the first option for most people. There might be some particular events or triggers that make the decision more clear and less constrained. Immigration is the clearest example. People tend to move from their country of origin to a new country motivated by economics, well-being, employment, education or political reasons.
Other common examples of moving away from the comfort zone include studying abroad, pursuing a new degree, launching a new business, changing careers, taking on a new job or learning a new language. All of these will come with a level of difficulty and with certain challenges. There might be a specific guide or playbook that you can follow to be more effective on these endeavours. However, it is likely that you will face pain, hardship, doubt and/or adversity at some point. From my experience, there are some key elements that could help you to smooth the ride and navigate through the challenges.
Being adaptable
Having a high degree of adaptability allows you to navigate the unknown and uncertain with an open and flexible mindset. “When in Rome, do as Romans do”, depicts this concept quite fittingly. By following the cultural standards and customs when visiting or living in a foreign land, allows you to absorb all aspects of the culture while gaining new perspectives and criteria. This is essential for the adaptation process and makes the experience worthwhile. If you are highly adaptable, what was once unknown and difficult will gradually become familiar.
Have low expectations
Charlie Munger would advise “the secret to happiness is to have low expectations”. This does not mean that one shouldn’t have goals or dreams. It is more about the process. When you lower your expectations there is more to appreciate and less to dislike. You prevent yourself from being unhappy by removing unrealistic expectations. Happiness is elusive, there is a fine line between constantly reaching for goals and appreciating what you already have.
It’s supposed to be hard
Good things in life take time and effort. This maxim is widely known and rarely off target. When leaving the comfort zone, you effectively exchange ease and familiarity for difficulty and unknown. Whether or not you have endured any level of hardship in the past, life eventually will put you in front of some adversity. Whatever the situation you are in, understanding that accomplishing something extraordinary or unusual is meant to be hard and no better way to go through those tough moments than acknowledging them.
Embrace change
Taking on a new challenge is not easy. There are constant obstacles to overcome. There might be people who turn their back on you. You may even realize that common sense is not very common. ‘Down’ moments will top the ‘Up’ moments. Frustrations will be frequent. Moving away from the comfort zone will bring significant change to your life, carrying with it all the unpleasant feelings and situations. Embrace these moments by finding joy out of the simple and little things. Appreciate nature, a sunrise, a walk in the woods or a stroll in the park.
Becoming the best version of ourselves requires continuous learning and self-reflection—drawing lessons from past mistakes and overcoming adversity. You might not need a special setting to do this, and you might feel you’re already performing at high level. However, it’s difficult to know whether you’ve truly reached your potential if the surroundings have never changed or challenged you.
Stepping into new environments, embracing unfamiliar cultures, new perspectives, and confronting new challenges push you beyond your comfort zone. These experiences break old paradigms, deepen self-understanding, and ultimately help you grow into a stronger, more resilient version of yourself.
Similar to Santiago’s journey, strive for a life of purpose and have the courage and determination to pursue your dreams. After all, you might ultimately discover that what you treasure is somehow connected to your origins and core values.