Every career growth story has a recurring theme: discomfort. Not the kind of discomfort that pushes you away, but the kind that challenges you to lean in and adapt. For me, every significant shift in my career—from data analyst to data engineer to TPM—required stepping into roles I wasn’t fully prepared for.

As a data analyst, I was hesitant to transition to engineering because I didn’t have a formal coding background. But I chose to lean into my curiosity, and in doing so, I built systems that didn’t just analyze data but powered scalable solutions.

Later, as I transitioned into technical program management, I faced new challenges: aligning engineers, defining priorities, and navigating ambiguous problem spaces. None of this came naturally at first. It took listening, learning, and, yes, being uncomfortable.

Growth rarely happens in your comfort zone. The skills that matter most—adaptability, communication, resilience—are built by facing uncertainty head-on. So, when you feel that itch of discomfort, don’t run from it. It might just be the beginning of your next chapter.