Succeed in your Comfort Zone Jari Kukkonen 15.2.2011

Common Comfort Zone paradigmas Comfort zone has contradicting meanings. When related to management it mostly seems to have a negative shading: e.g. “We cannot afford to have anyone operating in a comfort zone.” or “I'll tell you what drives me crazy—people who have talent but cruise along in the comfort zone.”

Common Comfort Zone paradigmas Yet in sports comfort zone has a positive meaning: e.g. “I knew if I could find my comfort zone I would be difficult to beat”

Intrigue in contradiction of definition When related to management the concept of comfort zone translates “a place or situation in which you feel safe or comfortable, especially when you choose to stay in this situation instead of trying to work harder or achieve more” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary) When related to sports the concept of comfort zone translates “a state in which you feel confident and are performing at your best”. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)

The prevailing understanding of Comfort Zone? The prevailing perception seems to be that in general people can not be successful when staying in their comfort zone. I find this perception unnatural as when observing nature I can see that e.g. animals are successful as long as they operate in their comfort zone.

Are you a Subject or an Object? When you are an object to be managed there is a manager, who wants you to achieve as much as possible from the manager’s perspective of goals. The manager defines the success. When you are a subject responsible for your own destiny you define the success. Daring to take responsibility of your own success means dearing to live in your own Comfort Zone – daring to be happy

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi’s observations “Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.” “In flow the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from flow. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task.”.

Flow and Comfort Zone Mihály Csíkszentmihályi’s description of the mental state he calls Flow is similar to the meaning of Comfort Zone (“A state in which you feel confident and are performing at your best”). Flow also includes subjective experience of success

The 10 FLOW factors Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one's skill set and abilities). Moreover, the challenge level and skill level should both be high. Concentrating, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (a person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it). A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness. Distorted sense of time, one's subjective experience of time is altered. Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behavior can be adjusted as needed). Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult). A sense of personal control over the situation or activity. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there is an effortlessness of action. A lack of awareness of bodily needs (to the extent that one can reach a point of great hunger or fatigue without realizing it) Absorption into the activity, narrowing of the focus of awareness down to the activity itself, action awareness merging.

But nothing is new… Flow has been experienced throughout history and across cultures: The teachings of Buddhism speak of a state of mind known as the "action of inaction" or "doing without doing“ Indian texts on Advaita philosophy such Ashtavakra Gita and the Yoga of Knowledge such as Bhagavad-Gita refer to this similar state. Taoists speak about Wu-Wei, which means “action without action” or “effortless doing".

Scientific proof Flow has a strong, documented correlation with performance enhancement. Researchers have found that achieving a flow state is positively correlated with optimal performance in the fields of: artistic and scientific creativity (Perry, 1999; Sawyer, 1992); teaching (Csíkszentmihályi, 1996); learning (Csíkszentmihályi et al., 1993); sports (Jackson, Thomas, Marsh, & Smethurst, 2002; Stein, Kimiecik, Daniels, & Jackson, 1995).

In conclusion It takes courage to start to live more in your comfort zone To find your true interest To find your true unicness and competence To define your own success To start to live your own life “Life is totally lost only for those who are afraid” Mika Waltari „A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do“ Bob Dylan