Don't Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Expand It.

Why one small step can change far more than you think.

For years, I've heard the same reason students want to sign up and take a comedy class.

"To get out of my comfort zone."

But I've seen this advice used almost everywhere now. It's become the go-to answer for almost everything.

Want to be more confident? Get out of your comfort zone.

Want to meet new people? Get out of your comfort zone.

Want to speak in public? Get out of your comfort zone.

Want to take an improv class? Yes, and... get out of your comfort zone.

I understand what people mean.

Growth requires trying things you've never done before.

But the more I hear it, the less I like the phrase.

Because I don't think the goal is to spend your life outside your comfort zone.

I think the goal is to make your comfort zone bigger.

That might be a subtle difference, but I think it changes everything.

My First Improv Class

I still remember taking my first improv class.

I was convinced everyone else would already be funny.

I assumed they'd know each other.

I worried I'd say something dumb.

Honestly, I don't even remember what happened during class.

What I remember is how nervous I was before I walked through the door.

If you've ever thought about taking an improv class, you've probably had some version of those same thoughts.

"What if I'm awkward?"

"What if I freeze?"

"What if I'm the least funny person in the room?"

The funny thing is...

Almost everyone who walks into their first class is wondering exactly the same thing.

Here's What Actually Happens

I've now taught hundreds of students at The Comedy Arena Training Center.

And almost every class follows the same pattern.

The first night, people apologize before speaking.

They overthink every answer.

They laugh nervously.

They're careful.

They're trying not to make mistakes.

By week six...

Those same people are volunteering first.

They're making bold choices.

They're laughing with people who were strangers just a few weeks earlier.

They're performing on stage in front of family and friends.

What changed?

They didn't suddenly become fearless.

Their comfort zone got bigger.

Confidence Isn't Magic

People often think confidence is something you're born with.

But I don't think that's the case.

I think confidence is usually just familiarity.

The first time you drive on the highway, your hands grip the steering wheel and 40mph feels like a nasscar race.

A few months later you're pushing 80 mph and singing along to whatever is playing through your speakers.

The first day at a new job feels overwhelming.

A year later you're helping train new employees.

The first improv class feels impossible.

Six weeks later you're wondering why you waited so long.

Nothing about the activity changed.

You changed.

Or more accurately...

Your comfort zone expanded.

I Still Get Nervous

People assume that because I own a comedy theater, I'm comfortable with everything.

I'm not.

I still get nervous when I launch a new show.

When I pitch a new idea.

When I stand in front of a room to teach something I've never taught before.

When we take on a project that feels bigger than anything we've done before.

The difference isn't that I don't feel fear.

The difference is that I've learned those feelings usually mean I'm growing.

Twenty years ago, teaching an improv class would've terrified me.

Today, it feels as normal as making a cup of coffee.

Not because I'm special.

Because I've spent years slowly expanding what feels comfortable.

That's What We Really Teach

People think they sign up for comedy classes because they want to be funny.

Sometimes that's true.

But I think something bigger happens.

Students become more comfortable speaking in meetings.

They become better listeners.

They make new friends.

They become more willing to share ideas.

They interview for jobs with more confidence.

They stop worrying so much about saying the "perfect" thing.

Comedy is just the vehicle.

Confidence is often the destination.

Small Steps Beat Giant Leaps

One of the reasons people avoid trying something new is because they imagine the biggest possible leap.

They picture standing alone on a stage in front of a hundred people.

That's not where growth starts.

Growth starts by walking through a door.

Saying hello to someone you haven't met.

Playing one simple improv game.

Taking one small step.

Then another.

Then another.

Every one of those moments makes the next one a little easier.

That's how comfort zones grow.

So Here's My Challenge

Stop trying to get out of your comfort zone.

Instead, ask yourself:

"What's one small thing I could do today that my future self will find completely normal?"

Maybe that's introducing yourself to someone new.

Maybe it's finally taking that improv class you've been thinking about.

Maybe it's trying something you've been putting off because you're waiting to feel ready.

Here's the secret.

You probably won't feel ready at first.

You'll feel ready because you did it.

Your comfort zone won't disappear.

It'll simply become a little bigger.

And if there's one thing I've learned from years of teaching improv, it's this:

The people who grow the most aren't the bravest people in the room.

They're the ones willing to take one small step today so that tomorrow feels a little more comfortable than yesterday.

And I think that is a journey worth taking.