In this issue: Getting into the Growth Zone is key to accelerating your marketing career. That’s why you need to make sure you have the Growth Mindset if you want to Move Up Faster. It’s the only way you’ll maximize your earning potential. But there’s no way around the Fear Zone.

Experience

When I was starting my marketing career in 1999 at Digitas, I had only one objective – to drink from the proverbial fire hose. I wanted to be exposed to as many areas of the business as possible.

I found quickly that after several months of excitement in a new role, came three years of doing the same analysis and decks, again and again.

That told me very quickly that it was time to change.

I could change my role within the company. Or I could change my job entirely.

What did I do?

Nothing.

I stayed in that role. At first, I was plateauing. Then, I became bitter.

Eventually, I left.

Reflection

Why was that younger version of me not willing to take a leap and have a serious conversation with my boss back then, about where my career could be going?

Or, why didn’t I start to look for other opportunities, sooner?

Doing something new, getting outside of one’s Comfort Zone, it’s a process. And it’s a process that comes with a ‘cost’. A cost … that I was unwilling to bear in my early 20s.

Let’s break down one view of the steps that all of us go through – myself included – when learning new skills:

The Comfort Zone. In the Comfort Zone, we are not growing. Yes, we have control and safety, but over time comfort can also lead to stagnation and boredom.

The Fear Zone. The moment we step outside the Comfort Zone, strange things start to happen. Your confidence goes down and you start to ask questions like: “Can I actually do this new task? Can I be in a different or bigger role? Do I have “it” in me? Am I capable?” Excuses start to come up, like “I don’t know if I have the time to lean into this new experience.” Obstacles start to emerge, like: “I don’t have the right training or support to succeed.” And procrastination kicks in, like: “I will get this done, but only once I get everything else done.”

The Learning Zone. This is where we are when we face a challenge head on, without turning back. When we see more opportunities and focus less on the risks. When we lean into problem solving and see fewer obstacles.

The Growth Zone. Because you put in the time and effort and pushed through the Fear Zone, acquiring a new skill, you’re now starting to believe. Your self-motivation goes up. Your belief or vision in your ability to acquire other skills increases. You find higher purpose and more meaning in overcoming challenges in your role. Your ambition may grow, too.

Remember:

References

I didn’t come up with the framework we’re using here of Comfort>Fear>Learning>Growth Zone myself. There are also many slightly different versions of it, created by psychologists such as Lev Vygotsky, Alasdair White and many others.

And the concept that the Comfort Zone is a negative space for career development is also shared by many experts.

In fact, all the experts I’ve consulted are in agreement. If we want to grow as people (and as Marketers) then we need to get out of our Comfort Zone.

If you’d like to discuss your career journey with me one-to-one, please feel free to email me at Greg@moveupfaster.me or message me on LinkedIn.

Thank you for reading.

If you know someone who you think would appreciate this newsletter, please forward it to them.