Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk looking at an internship opportunity and debating whether you want to give it a shot or not.
Before you could spring into action, a small voice in the back of your head fills you with nail-biting insecurities. What if you’re not good enough? What if you lack the skills for the job? What if you end up hating it?
As these questions swirl around in your mind, you grow less and less confident. In the end, you decide to not apply for the internship.
Has this ever happened to you? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Applying for internships can be scary but you know what’s even scarier? Staying in your comfort zone.
The beauty of internships is that they are a learning experience. You’re not expected to know everything, you’re expected to learn and grow from it.
While it’s good to feel safe and content with where you are, the comfort zone is also a place where nothing grows.
When we remain in our comfort zones, we become stagnant because we are refusing to embrace discomfort and experience new things. While it’s scary to face uncertainties, we need to realize one thing:
To achieve our dreams, we need to acquire new skills, lessons, and experiences. To grow into our future desired selves, we must face things that we’ve never done before.
So, how do we put our comfort zones on the sidelines?
The comfort zone can be tempting, seductive even. However, challenging that temptation in small ways can help put your comfort zone away.
Doing one thing that scares you every day is a great place to start!
I know that being uncomfortable is an icky feeling, but putting yourself in a situation where you feel some discomfort or uncertainty at least once a day isn’t too far-fetched of a goal. If you have trouble with starting, either because you’re too nervous or anxious, it may be helpful to answer these questions:
- What’s the worst that could happen? What are the chances of that exact scenario happening?
- Will you regret not trying?
- What opportunities or benefits could come out of it if you just went for it?
Our instinct is to stay in our comfort zones either because of our fear of rejection, not fitting in or uncertainty. However, giving into these fears only results in missed opportunities. Thinking about the worst-case scenario, then the likelihood of it actually happening makes it less scary.
Most of the time, our worst-case scenarios don’t usually come to fruition. For example, have you ever been so nervous about a certain gathering with friends or some other event, and later realized that it wasn’t as bad as you thought? It’s the same idea when it comes to dipping your toes out of your comfort zone.
Another benefit to this? It may help boost your confidence. Instead of questioning if you’re good enough or have the skills for the job, just apply and see what happens. Be confident in your skills and abilities.
Do one thing that scares you every day, and remember to treat yourself to celebrate your achievements. You deserve it!