Getting Uncomfortable:
7 Ways to Reclaim Our Hearts and Minds

by Tom Terez

Comfort is a good thing, right? Well, yes and no.

A comfortable bed? Very important. A comfortable pair of shoes? Required. A comfortable bicycle seat? Essential.

But what about a comfortable job? Or a comfortable workplace? Or a comfortable workday routine? Is there anything wrong with having our own little comfort zone at work? You bet there is.

When it comes to personal fulfillment, nothing can be more constricting than our own self-created comfort zone. Why? Because the chronic quest to make things easy has a dulling effect.

It diminishes our thoughts and feelings. It dampens our imagination. It replaces our sense of mission with a series of mindless tasks.

It makes us more mechanical and less human.

Yes, it's that serious. But there are steps we can take right now to reclaim the best of ourselves.

1. If you're in the habit of beginning each day by reading the newspaper or tuning in to TV or radio news, be careful. Why? Because an early-morning batch of bad news will drag down just about anyone. Think about it: Will your day be enhanced if you know that a raging fire has killed 40 people in a faraway factory? Will you be at your best if you learn that an alleged terrorist has been apprehended trying to buy a shoulder-launched missile? I'm not proposing that you boycott the news; staying informed is an important responsibility of every citizen. But keep the bad news to a minimum, and actively seek out plenty of good news and inspiration.

2. Before getting busy with work, write a list of all your planned activities for the day. Then step back and look at the list with a clean perspective. Pinpoint one activity that adds little or no value, and strike it from the list. That's right, figure out what you are NOT going to do. Whatever happens as the day unfolds, avoid doing that value-less activity.

3. Now that you have some available time, use it to do something completely different. The key word here is "completely." Perhaps you can make that first-ever visit with people in another department. Or you can ask that quiet, cubicle- cloistered co-worker to help you with a project. Or you can spend time learning more about other organizations in your field. The possibilities are endless. Some of these new activities will fall flat, but many will inform and inspire in surprising ways.

4. Make a point of changing your environment, even if the change is brief. If you spend your workdays indoors, take a daily walk outside. If you're around machines or equipment all the time, try getting closer to nature -- again, even if it's just for 15 minutes. If you tend to work alone, go to a place where you can mingle with others. You might be able to do this during the workday, depending on your break schedule. If not, make it happen before or after work.

5. Once and for all, take action on that one thing you've been putting off for ages. You know what it is -- the target of all your procrastination. Identify it, write it down, and get it going before the sun sets. Maybe you've been permanently postponing a difficult conversation. So pick up the phone and get it started. Perhaps you've delayed starting an extremely challenging project. Take the first step or two right now. Nothing saps energy like an important task left undone. The only solution is to generate forward momentum.

6. Learn something about something you know nothing about. Listen, I know you're plenty smart. After years on planet Earth, your brain is brimming with everything from Grandma's cookie recipe to an encyclopedic knowledge of sports statistics to a deep understanding of your job. You've been working with your know-how for years. That may be why we recycle the same thoughts, ideas, and beliefs day after day -- and often get the same results. So add something entirely new to your mental treasure. Perhaps you saw a few minutes of an interesting documentary on climate systems. Why not get a book about it and learn more? Let's say you and your colleagues are working to increase creativity in the workplace. Great -- learn everything you can about Thomas Edison and his great invention factory, Menlo Park. As long as you have an Internet connection and a nearby library, you have full access to a universe of new knowledge.

7. Write your own mission statement. I know, I know, you heard this from Stephen Covey, author of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," way back in 1989. And you may have been through an excruciating mission-writing exercise at work, in which people fought over semicolons and dangling modifiers as you rolled your eyes. Forget all that and ask yourself: What is your overarching purpose? What is the noble aim that inspires and engages you as the day unfolds? We're not looking for a job description or a list of work activities. We're thinking far beyond that. What gives meaning to your work? To your life? Yes, these are big questions. It's up to you to provide big answers.

The choice is yours: You can stay in your comfort zone, where life is nice and easy, though a bit repetitious. Or you can do the work of fully renewing your heart and mind.

The clock is ticking. Are you ready to begin?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Terez is a speaker, workshop leader, and author of the book 22 Keys to Creating a Meaningful Workplace. Visit him online at TomTerez.com, BetterWorkplaceNow.com, and InnerBest.com.

Copyright 2006 Tom Terez. All rights reserved.