Getting Comfortable Outside Your Comfort Zone

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Significant Figures

I had high expectations as I walked into the theater to watch the film Hidden Figures with some fellow Society of Women Engineers (SWE) members in my senior year of college.

For those who are not familiar with the book or the movie, Hidden Figures is a true story that follows the lives of three African American women - Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who made significant contributions to NASA during the Space Race of the early 1960s.

The film sheds light on the struggles they faced as African Americans in a segregated America, as well as the challenges they encountered as women in a male-dominated workplace.

As the closing credits of the film rolled, I found myself wiping away a few tears. Being a minority and a female engineer, I could relate to some of the adversities faced by the three protagonists. Specifically, I could empathize with the feeling of being outside of your comfort zone.

I wear a two-piece dress called a rida, which comprises a colorful hooded poncho and a matching full-length skirt. This attire ensures that I stand out in any professional setting. Like the women in the film, I am perpetually outside of my comfort zone. I am usually the only female in technical groups or teams and always the only person wearing a rida.

There is a scene in the movie where a room full of male engineers stop working to stare at Katherine Johnson as she walks into the room – a scene that I have seen played out in real life many times over.

I am happy to share that I have learned to be comfortable outside my comfort zone. “Hidden Figures” is important because it shows what you can accomplish if you do just that:

• Katherine Johnson overcame demeaning colleagues to become a prominent NASA mathematician.

• Dorothy Vaughan mastered a computing language no one knew and was promoted to head of the Analysis and Computation Division at Langley Research Center.

• Mary Jackson fought in court for the right to study engineering at an all-white school and became NASA’s first black female engineer.

All three women faced immense discrimination and resistance. They aspired to opportunities that were not available to African American women at that time. They persevered, securing their own success while paving the way for others to follow.

Now, I aim to stay outside my comfort zone. I try to surround myself with people who challenge me. I seek projects that intimidate me. I do not shy away from opportunities that are unconventional for a rida-clad Ammi.

I encourage everyone to watch “Hidden Figures.” Man or woman, engineer or not, everyone can glean inspiration from these three incredible women to push their boundaries and achieve their potential.

Ammi’s Guide to the Out-of-Comfort Zone

Every step in my professional path thus far has been a departure from the one before it:

Start: Chemical Engineering student in Texas
➡️ Joined a $1B software company in North Carolina to sell software
➡️ Joined a 300-person French AI startup
➡️ Jumped from sales to strategy
➡️ Left a corporate job to start a business in uncharted territory (AI Literacy for Moms)

Getting comfortable out of my comfort zone is what paved this path. A path I never envisioned but that has led to so much growth and fulfillment.

Going out of your comfort zone may look like different things for different people:

• Trying out a new skill or hobby

• Sending a cold email to someone you admire but doesn’t know you

• Getting married or becoming a parent

• Changing roles, companies, or starting a business

Here is my tried and true guide for doing things that are intimidating but could be very fulfilling.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are outside your comfort zone, here are four things you can do to make the most of it.

Let’s take an example

1. Be a sponge - The value in going out of your comfort zone is growth. Ask questions. Observe and assess how you can contribute and add value. Absorb knowledge and skills. Grow.

   In Hidden Figures, Dorothy Vaughan realized the impending installation of an IBM electronic computer at NASA could potentially replace her and her co-workers. She took this as a cue to learn how to program it and encouraged the women who worked for her to do so as well.

2. Smile - By this, I don’t necessarily mean smile literally. This is something I learned from my mother. She’s one of those people you can’t help but like. People are drawn to her, in fact. It’s because she’s a smiley lady. She smiles when she listens to you. She smiles when she’s speaking to you. Her smile shows that she’s passionate. She’s engaged. She’s enthusiastic. She cares.

   It’s safe to assume that if you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone to pursue something, it is because you are passionate, engaged, enthusiastic, and you care about it. Even if you’re not a particularly smiley person, if you exude those qualities, people will want to help you and teach you, but most importantly, they’ll want to keep you around.

3. Thank your guide - Every time I ventured out of my comfort zone, it was because I was gently nudged out here. By teachers, my husband and family, and various mentors. 

   In Hidden Figures, Mary Jackson is encouraged by her team lead to apply for an official NASA engineering position. She didn’t even have an engineering degree, but he didn’t see that as an issue because he knew she would figure it out. 

   A guide is someone who recognizes and identifies your potential and pushes you to achieve it, and the really good ones help remove obstacles in the way.

   So thank your guides, and make sure to keep a good relationship with them. 

4. Send a friend - Finally, once you’re been out here and realized the benefits, pay it forward and send a friend. You may know a mentor, a relative, or a buddy who is hesitant to pursue something. Encourage them, brush away their doubts, and gently nudge them out of their comfort zone. They’ll thank you for it.

So, here’s my nudge. Get comfortable outside your comfort zone. I can’t wait to see what you achieve!

P.S. This guide is available as a keynote session + interactive workshop for your team or organization! Interested in empowering your team to get comfortable outside their comfort zone? Let’s chat! Email me at [email protected] or book some time to chat 👇️ 

Thank you for spending a few of your precious, precious minutes with us.

See y’all soon!
Ruqaiya
Ammi by day, Ammi by night