You can't get there from here. The biggest risk is not taking any risk. If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got. What do these oft-repeated phrases have in common? They all point to the power and benefits of moving beyond that anxiety-free field known as the comfort zone. You might ask, why should I leave my comfort zone when it’s just so ... comfortable? The reasons are compelling. Out there, beyond that zone, is where you discover that you’re capable of more than you think, you’re more resilient
than you knew, your focus and concentration are enhanced — and new ideas are within reach, ready for you to grasp. Performance management expert Alasdair White, who in 1999 published the paper “From Comfort Zone to Performance Management,” called the area beyond the comfort zone the “optimal performance zone” (see page 41), the space between complete ease and dangerously high levels of stress. That’s where the sweet spot is, and it’s different for each individual. Beverly Booth, CEO and founder of The Magical Marketing Booth, a Victoria-based tourism-marketing agency, says leaving her comfort zone and finding the courage to do things like skydive from a plane in the middle of a hail storm eventually gave her the confidence to launch her own business, which specializes in luxury-tourism marketing, working with high-profile clients such as the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and The Discovery Club.
Most recently, in an extreme feat of urban adventure, Booth allowed herself to be outfitted in a harness and tethered to a metal wire 356 metres (1,168 feet) above the city of Toronto to take part in the experience known as the EdgeWalk. “They open the door, and wind just rushes in at you. The girl beside me was shaking so hard; the adrenalin is just rushing,” says Booth. In an hour-long adventure high above Canada’s largest city, Booth and other participants built up courage in increments until finally, in an act of supreme trust in their trainers, their safety equipment and themselves, they leaned out away from the tower, tilting into the abyss. “You’re hanging in the air over Toronto,” Booth laughs. “You see planes taking off and landing, and the lake and traffic way far down. Some people were struggling and we began cheering for them — and then, once they do it,
Taking the turns in a Porsche 718 Boxter at Vancouver Island Motor Circuit.
First-hand experience
A Lesson in Pushing the Limits What happens when a cautiously pragmatic professional writer lets go of the speed limit in an ultra-fast marvel of modern auto engineering?
I drive a bare-bones 2010 Toyota Corolla, so you’d think I’d have leapt at the chance to get behind the wheel of the new Porsche 718 Boxster, a compact specimen of German engineering that can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just over four seconds and reach speeds of almost 285 km/h. Not only would I be piloting the $78,000 vehicle on Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit’s challenging and exceptional 2.3 km track near Duncan, I’d be speeding on unfamiliar roads in a car that rumbles at takeoff and rockets into action. The offer meant I had to vacate my comfort zone in more ways than one. What if a Cowichan Valley water buffalo suddenly broke through a fence and met me blasting through at 130 km/h? Or what if I pushed the wrong button on the heavilyoutfitted dashboard? Would the top of the car fly off? Would I be ejected? Would an air bag inflate? These “What ifs?” began to fill me with auto angst. But I had to decide quickly, because this was
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a limited offer and for every “No, thanks,” there were plenty others happy to drive a luxury vehicle on one of North America’s best highperformance tracks. In this case, my desire to be fearless and try something novel won over my innate cautiousness and worrisome nature. I went with my gut, telling myself I would regret it if I didn’t. As they say on Roman roads, carpe diem. And, in a way, it was good not to think about it too long. Overthinking a new situation often leads to the creation of multiple excuses. Over about four hours, under the pro guidance of the Island Circuit crew and Porsche Centre Victoria staff, instead of being stuck in one gear, comfortable at a practical speed, I discovered that yes, I could do something I’d never done before — and love it. When I began driving along the winding circuit, following the pilot car, my palms were sweating, my shoulders hunched and my head achy. There was no way I wanted anything to go wrong in a
Terrence Lam
by Shannon Moneo
vehicle that costs more than many people earn in one year. But after discovering how this low-slung, superbly designed piece of metal hugged the road, how the brakes really did let you stop on a dime and how you felt enveloped in a Teflon bullet, my palms dried, my head cleared, and it became a legitimate joy ride. By the time I hit the track, with its 19 turns, many of them dare-worthy, plus its stomach-churning changes in elevation, I was ready to roar. I’d started as a mouse and had become a lion. In about an hour, I’d found that I, a middle-aged woman, could handle a Porsche just as well as the leather-gloved aficionado. After finishing two circuits on the track, and doing very well, according to the pace-car driver, I wanted more. And to think 24 hours earlier I wasn’t going to do it. So what happened?
“The Porsche push was a lesson enveloped in a good time.” Removed from a predictable life, I was forced to make the most of an unpredictable day by embracing an unfamiliar track. The brain can handle it. I realized I could master the Porsche, and any surprises that came my way. If I had said no, I would not have learned new skills. The Porsche push was a lesson enveloped in a good time. So go ahead. Be rational, heed the instructions, but the same time, push your boundaries, ratchet it up based on the conditions, don’t say no to new experiences and, in the course of it all, master a new situation.