People have a natural tendency to fall in love with their own
ideas, and with the ways of doing things to which they have
become accustomed. Psychologists call this your “comfort
zone.”
A basic rule in psychology says that you seek to get into
a comfort zone, or a familiar routine, and once you are in it,
you struggle and argue to stay there. If, for any reason, you are
pushed out of your comfort zone by external circumstances,
you immediately make every effort to re-create the comfort
zone that you just left.
When you take a one- or two-week vacation, you often take
your favorite pillow and coffee mug with you. When you arrive
at your destination, you go down to the store and buy all.
The Principle of Maneuver—Remain Flexible at All Times
same foods that you were eating at home. You quickly re-create
your comfort zone and adjust your lifestyle to your time of
going to bed and getting up and to your daily rituals. You organize
your life so that you feel comfortable doing the same
things that you always do.
Creating a domestic or family comfort zone is healthy, natural,
and positive. But getting into a comfort zone at work,
especially when it causes you to resist change of any kind, can
be harmful to your future.
To escape the lure of the comfort
zone, you must stay open to new ways of achieving the same
goal and be willing to try new approaches when the old ways
of doing things don’t seem to be working anymore.
The rule is this: “Be clear about your goal or objective, but
be flexible about how you achieve it.”
Always be open to the possibility that your current strategy
is either completely wrong or not as good as another strategy
that you may have not yet considered. Be flexible so that you
can adapt easily in critical situations. Be open to input from all
sources.
Ask people for their ideas. Read everything you can in
your field. Attend every trade show, seminar, and conference
that your professional organization puts together. Make a habit
of attending meetings and associating with other people in
your business, and related businesses. One new idea is all you
need to start or build a fortune.