It’s more than just resting or sprinting.

In society, social standing, organisational structure and the education system all follow hierarchy. Ever since we were brought into this world, we have been socialised to believe in the need to climb (and to climb higher, faster and further).

Have you ever heard the saying, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying?”

It sounds low-key dramatic, though whoever once said it had their point. Without consistent personal, career (or even spiritual) growth, we can end up feeling stagnant in life.

Both comfort/certainty and growth/ambition are parts of our human nature; our general perception is that both sets of traits can be conflicting at times. But, are they truly conflicting? How can they co-exist and complement one another?

Let’s dig deep and find it out.

Comfort/Certainty vs. Growth/Ambition

First things first, we have to understand the essences of comfort/certainty and growth/ambition. Here, basically, our comfort zone is a psychological state where we feel safe, secure and in control. It is characterised by routine, familiarity and minimal stress. While it provides a sense of stability, it also limits our potential. Choosing comfort means avoiding risks and challenges, but also leads to missed opportunities at times.

The growth zone, alternatively, is where we truly come alive, pushing our boundaries and realising our full potential. It is a place of continuous learning, reflection and development, where every step forward brings new opportunities and rewards. By choosing growth, we need to embrace a life of endless possibilities and uncertainties thereof. Yet, within such uncertainties, it is also where we experience the most significant personal and professional growth.

Ambition serves as a prominent quality in our characters, built on the basis of the animal instincts that link our own selves to human society. A strong sense of ambition, if harnessed properly, can be seen as a useful motivator. Essentially, ambition has the ability to make us so driven that “it takes an evil mindset to accomplish the aspirations.”

Again, this sounds too dramatic, right?

Yet, whoever originally said it — I believe it came from Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley — had a point.

Which Side to Choose?

So, should we actively seek comfort or growth? The circumstances are not that straightforward but more nuanced. First, we have to learn that the comfort zone is safe and steady, where we are walking along a path on which we already have a track record of successes. However, our human nature may sometimes go against it, making us lack fulfilment and/or drive in our jobs — and, ultimately, making us uncomfortable.

Our growth zone, however, is just the other side of feeling comfortable. We have to cross our comfort zone barriers in order to grow. Being in the growth zone does not mean we have to be so uncomfortable. It can simply mean we are seeking opportunities that feel low-key different and unfamiliar (beyond our secure and steady path).

Again, both the comfort and growth zones have their upsides and downsides. Therefore, we should not go to extremes by exclusively choosing one or the other. To optimise our wellbeing and growth, we have to spend a fair amount of time out of our comfort zone to seek professional, financial and/or intellectual heights, as well as, for example, social gains. Yet, when we reach a certain point of experiencing chronic burnout and depression or multiple episodes of acute anxiety, our bodies are giving us the signal that it’s time to lean towards our comfort zone tentatively.

Final Thoughts

A little bit cliche here: Adult life is definitely not a sprint. In academic research, I have seen people who were denied a US$80k/year employment contract, yet secured a US$400k/two-year research offer a year later. And for the most part, forcing something to happen professionally, socially or personally does not necessarily result in the realisation of our goals — but the stress is likely to take a toll on our health and wellness.

In today’s landscape, we champion the totality of success and/or growth. This means we have to reach a better balance between different dimensions of success and/or growth. Success is no longer a sexy term in professional and/or academic life alone. It is equally sexy (if not more) socially and/or health-wise.

So, take your time to be, and build, your best self.

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Thanks for reading my takes on personal growth. If you would like to learn more about (mental) health, personal development and/or (online) education from me, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter below. Also please feel free to browse my blog — Society & Growth — for more content at https://jasonhungofficialblog.com/.