I’ve just returned from leading an incredible 3 day retreat experience, overflowing with insights and stories that I’m eager to share with you. I’m a bit exhausted, but also full of learnings and insights. It was an honor to be able to hold space for the women that attended and help guide them towards creating their dream lives. The retreat was a journey were everyone, including myself, discovered new layers of our potential.

We kicked off the retreat with an exercise on comfort zones – a concept we often hear about but might not fully explore in our daily lives. This exercise illuminated the spaces we occupy: the comfort zone, where we feel safe and at ease; the stretch zone, where growth and learning ignite; and the panic zone, where overwhelm can stunt our growth. It’s within the delicate dance between these zones that we find our true capacity for change and resilience.

Our comfort zone is like a cozy nook we love to return to, filled with the familiar and the secure. But as comforting as it is, staying here too long can keep us from experiencing life’s richness and the growth it offers. Just beyond this zone lies the magic of the stretch zone – a place that may feel uncomfortable at first but is teeming with opportunities for growth, learning, and profound change. It’s where we push the boundaries of what we believe we’re capable of, expanding our horizons and enhancing our skills.

Yet, it’s crucial to recognize the fine line before we step into the panic zone, where too much challenge can trigger a flight, fight, freeze, or fawn response, hindering our growth and potentially leading to burnout. The journey through these zones is not linear but fluid, requiring us to move back and forth, balancing growth with self-care.

During the retreat, we physically mapped these zones with concentric circles of rope. As I called out various activities – from skydiving to asking for a promotion or being vulnerable about our feelings – each participant moved to the zone that resonated with how they felt about that activity. This visual and physical representation of our comfort, stretch, and panic zones sparked rich discussions about our fears, our desires for growth, and how different we all are in what challenges us.

The beauty of this exercise lies in its simplicity and the profound insights it offers into our personal and professional lives. It’s a reminder that embracing our stretch zone, with all its discomfort and challenges, is where we find the greatest potential for growth, innovation, and breakthroughs. Yet, it’s equally important to periodically retreat back to our comfort zone to rejuvenate, reflect, and celebrate how far we’ve come.

This journey of stretching and retreating is not just about personal growth; it’s about expanding our professional horizons too. In tech, where the pace of change is relentless, stepping out of our comfort zone is not just beneficial; it’s essential for innovation and leadership. As we expand our comfort zones, we not only enhance our resilience and confidence but also our capacity to lead, innovate, and inspire others.

Now I invite you to consider your own life and career. Where are you feeling too comfortable? What stretch could bring you closer to your goals? And how can you ensure you don’t push into panic but instead find growth in discomfort?

As we venture into this week, let’s commit to stretching our boundaries, bit by bit, embracing the discomfort as a signal of potential growth and transformation. Let’s navigate this journey together, supporting each other as we expand our zones, discover our true potential, and lead with courage and empathy.

To growth, resilience, and beyond,
Jossie

P.S. Your thoughts, experiences, and stories of venturing out of your comfort zone are always welcome, feel free to respond to this e-mail and let me know what came up for you!
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