Whats not to love about your comfort zone?

Even the phrase itself sounds nice.

Breaking out of your comfort zone is hugely beneficial to your personal growth and productivity.

Were not making that uptheres legit science behind it.

Who wants to think theyre right all the time?

Over time, even the simplest thing makes you uncomfortable.

After reading about all of theadvantages of discomfort, I realized Id gotten too comfortable in my ways.

So at the beginning of the year, I resolved to seek out discomfort more often.

Its right up there with doing your taxes or going on a blind date.

Asurvey from PayScaleasked people why they dont ask for raises.

You get what you negotiate.

One client said no, so of course, I was immediately worried about losing the gig.

Of course, it didnt happen that way.

I just asked, got rejected, and kept working as normal.

Hell, even being rejected made me feel more confident.

One way to set yourself up for success is toset up systemsfor yourselfwhen motivation is high.

I found myself in that situation earlier this year.

As anyone who works from home will tell you, its far too easy to get comfortable.

You only spend time with the people (or pets) you like and you rarely leave the house.

I told myself Id start takingregular breaks from my work,but I didnt.

I was too set in my ways.

I started volunteering at the local library every Wednesday.

Sometimes their rudeness was funny: one patron said she was taking her business elsewhere.

Other times it was downright disheartening: one patron straight up said, youre a horrible person.

In short, it was very uncomfortable.

But there were a couple of benefits to breaking up my routine.

For one, I was considerably more productive.

Volunteering served as a forcing function.

Second, I felt happier.

I am not one of those people.

And chances are, there are some truths you have a hard time with, too.

Maybe a friend has bad breath.

Maybe a friend wont shut up about his ex and its annoying you.

Maybe a friend thinks shes invited to your wedding, and you werent planning on it.

Its hard to be honest sometimes.

For example, a few months ago, a friend texted me asking to go seePitch Perfect 2.

I had no desire to see this movie, and that would be an easy truth for most people.

On the other hand, I know how dumb that is.

It keeps you from developing a stronger relationship.

), so I decided to do the uncomfortable thing.

I told her, Ill pass, Im not the biggest fan.

kindly dont be mad.

Of course, like a normal person, she simply replied, What?

You mean you dont have the exact same taste in movies as I do?

Jk, see you soon!

I realized being offended over a movie preference is dumb, and its okay to be honest.

In fact, honesty can bring you closer, and thats what happened.

Weve become pretty good friends, and all it took was doing something slightly uncomfortable.

It helped me understand that we may not be compatible in many ways.

It can be uncomfortable, but honesty is a shortcut for growing your friendships.

You have to talk to people you dont know.

You have to figure out what to do with your hands while talking to people you dont know.

Even if youre not shy, its also intimidating to be in a room with so many successful people.

You feel like an imposter.

One woman was a TV anchor.

Another was a CEO of a big company.

At the same time, its important to return to your comfort zone sometimes.

Returning to your comfort zone every so often makes you appreciate the subtlety and nuance of life.

Plus, lets face it: being comfortable is nice.

However, its actually a lot nicer after youve challenged yourself and learned from your experiences.

The comfort zone is so much more comfortable when you return to it after pushing yourself.

Illustration by Tara Jacoby.