Community Post: When Your Comfort Zone Holds You Back in Your Work

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week at The High Calling, we’re focusing on "what holds you back in your work." Here on the Community page, several members of our diverse writing network offer their unique insights on the topic.

An email arrived recently from a professional acquaintance. He was forwarding a job listing from his workplace.

“Interested?” he wondered.

Was I?

The job sounded great and also fit the direction I wanted for my journalism career. As soon as those happy thoughts crossed my mind, though, they were chased off by another thought: I’d have to reenter the fray.

I dreaded reentering a phase where my husband and I both worked full-time jobs away from home. This arrangement had worked fine until we had our first child. After those first bleary-eyed but joyful weeks of maternity leave, I returned to my job a little reluctantly but also somewhat happy to be back.

Then, however, we entered a world where any sign of sickness from our much-adored son sent my husband and I into a predictable argument over who had the more critical meeting at work that day, or whose project was the most behind. My husband had a higher paying job, and he felt we should make his career the first priority. But I had taken the maximum allowed period for maternity leave and felt I “owed” my company perfect attendance for a few months.

It made me sad and angry that we had these arguments. How would our son feel if he were old enough to understand?

Within nine months, I shifted to part-time with the newspaper where I worked. Within 2 1/2 years, I had decided—as the birth of our second child neared—to give up on working away from home entirely.

It was a decision I made for two reasons: First, I wanted to end those sick-day debates. Secondly, it would give me the chance to be with my kids while trying to do my own journalism work. I was fortunate that my husband made enough money to allow me to make this choice.

And I loved it. Well, most days anyway.

Fast forward through hundreds of sweet days, tiring days, giggling days, frustrating days and try-to-write-during-naps days. Now, here I am with our third child having just headed off to kindergarten a few months ago.

I had known that I would somewhat miss having a little one tagging along with me all day, but I also looked forward to focusing more on my career. But then I listened, nodding in agreement, when a stay-at-home mom friend suggested giving myself a year before committing to anything new. After all, my book, documentary and the app I had created all could use some of the attention that I’d lavished on my children. I decided to take her advice, and I kindly passed when professional contacts asked if I might want to apply for some job or other.

I see now that I was avoiding a change for other reasons: I didn’t want to step out of my comfort zone.

But then that job listing was placed under my nose—an appealing six-month gig at 30 hours a week. Perfect.

I imagined, though, the five of us being thrust back into those days where my husband and I had to negotiate over who would meet our kids’ needs when something came up during that 9-to-5 window.

It was only when I remembered how hesitant I was to leave my old job behind years earlier that I became more open to the possibilities for this job. I remembered how it had been hard to walk away from a job I’d loved for the family I loved even more. That internal struggle was just another time when I’d not wanted to leave my comfort zone. But I had taken the step. In doing so, I’d gained those wonderful years with my two sons and daughter as my constant companions throughout the day.

I would spend four days thinking it over but finally responded to the email saying I’d send my resume to the right person.

I started a month later at my new job.

And, so far, it looks like this step outside my comfort zone just might be as fun as my last one, though, hopefully, with a little less crying and whining involved.

Colleen Bradford Krantz is an author, documentary filmmaker and creator of the News Tutor app. She recently accepted a position as a producer for Iowa Public Television’s Market to Market in the Classroom. Learn more at www.ColleenBradfordKrantz.com.