As human beings, we find happiness and fulfillment in evolving and moving forward in our lives. In some cases, that progress is taking on a new role. In others, it is working toward a long-term goal or learning a new skill. Everyone’s definition of growth is unique.

Of course, no matter how you want to move forward in your life, the path won’t be easy. You will need to overcome many obstacles if you’re to reach your destination. Luckily, you can make the process much more manageable by staying on your growth edge.

Your growth edge exists one step outside of your comfort zone. Not ten steps - and certainly not 100 steps. One step.

Why one step? Well, first and foremost, it is not possible to evolve as a human being if you don’t leave your comfort zone. To achieve big things, you need to take risks and put yourself out there every day. You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

In the past, I struggled with that concept a lot. If a project or experience made me feel nervous, I would avoid it. If I thought I’d be bad at something at first, I wouldn’t even try to get better at it.

Now, I embrace the fear. I actively seek out opportunities that make me feel anxious and excited at the same time. I say yes to as many experiences as I can… even if I suck at them at first.

The result? I’ve never been more fulfilled - both personally and professionally. Getting outside of my comfort zone has helped me become a better version of myself.

It’s important not to take it too far, though. The growth edge exists one step outside your comfort zone because pushing yourself too hard is likely to lead to burnout and failure.

Let’s say you decide you want to run a marathon. If you get off the couch, walk out the door, and try to run 26.2 miles, it’s not going to go well. You are going to fail. You are probably going to get discouraged, and you may even get injured.

Running that marathon is 100 steps outside your comfort zone. It’s not on your growth edge.

So, you start small. You walk a mile. That’s one step outside your comfort zone.

Then you walk two miles. That’s another step.

Before long, you’ll be running five miles. Then ten miles. Then fifteen miles.

After a little while, you’ll have made so much forward progress that running a marathon won’t be 100 steps outside your comfort zone anymore. It’ll be right on your growth edge.

You’ll be ready to walk out your front door and run 26.2 miles.

Of course, it’s pretty easy to find your growth edge when you want to do something that is easily tracked and measured - like running a marathon. But what if you want to achieve something that is a little harder to define, like succeeding in a new job? How do you find the growth edge then?

In most cases, all you need to do is monitor your fear and excitement levels. For me, the growth edge usually exists in the 20 percent fear, 80 percent excitement range. Your preferences might be a little different - but you should generally look for a good mix of both emotions.

Once you find the right mix for you, all that’s left to do is begin moving forward.

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About The Author

Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense. 

Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.