Imagine you’re working on your house. You’re learning how to nail with a hammer. At first, it was awkward, you hit your thumb, didn’t hit the nail straight. But eventually you got better. You mastered the skill. There are other tools: a sander, a wrench, an electrical sensor. But they’re new, and they look scary. You know you won’t be as good with those tools as you are with the hammer.

Here’s the thing. The more tools you know how to use, the more problems you’ll be able to fix. Sure, it won’t feel comfortable. You’ll go through the same learning curve that you did with the hammer. But eventually, you will get the hang of it. And you’ll know how to fix the problem with the right tool: not using the hammer when there’s a much better alternative.

Pushing yourself to learn new skills is the same thing. Yes, it won’t feel comfortable. You’ll miss the hammer. But if you keep pushing yourself and taking the hard assignments, you can be the general contractor, not just the person who knows how to hammer.