Picture your pantry for a moment.

Everything at eye level is easy to grab—the everyday items you reach for without even thinking. But on the very top shelf? That’s where the good stuff lives. It’s not the first thing you grab because you have to stretch a little higher to get it.

That’s exactly how growth works.

Most people live their lives operating at eye level—reaching only for what’s easy, comfortable, and familiar. But if you want to grow as a leader, entrepreneur, or even as a person, you have to be willing to reach for more.

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Comfort Is a Trap That Looks Like Safety

The comfort zone is sneaky. It disguises itself as stability—but in reality, it’s stagnation.

I’ve seen it in boardrooms, on coaching calls, and even in my own mirror: the moment we stop stretching, we start settling. The human brain craves predictability, but growth requires stretching.

Comfort feels good in the short term, but it costs you capacity in the long term and can lead to unfulfilled potential.

Growth begins when you stop asking, “What’s easy?” and start asking, “What’s next?”

What “Top Shelf Goals” Really Are

Top shelf goals are the kind that make you a little uncomfortable—the ones that demand focus, consistency, and courage.

They’re not reckless leaps; they’re intentional stretches.

They require you to stand taller, think sharper, and sometimes ask for help to reach them. But those are the very movements that build new strength—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

You don’t develop leadership by staying in the comfort zone. You develop it by reaching just beyond what you think you can grab.

Stretch Before You Teach Others to Stretch

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is trying to stretch others before they’ve stretched themselves.

If you want to lead a high-performance team, your growth has to set the tone. You can’t call your team to higher standards from the comfort of your own chair.

Growth trickles down from the example you set, not the goals you assign. When your team sees you reaching, they’re inspired to reach too.

How to Identify When You’ve Stopped Reaching

You know you’ve hit a plateau when:

• You’re repeating last year’s wins instead of creating new ones.

• Your daily routine feels busy but not productive.

• You can’t remember the last time you did something that scared you (in a good way).

If any of that sounds familiar, it’s not a sign you’re failing—it’s a signal it’s time to start stretching.

A Simple Framework to Stretch Higher

Here’s how to put the Pantry Principle into action:

1. Spot the Shelf. Identify one goal or habit that’s just out of reach.

2. Make the Climb. Build daily micro-actions to reach it—5 minutes, one conversation, one new attempt.

3. Hold the Reach. Stay in the stretch long enough to build strength. Don’t drop back down when it gets tough.

4. Restock Your Pantry. Once you grab that goal, put a new one on the top shelf. Growth is a continual restocking process.

The more you stretch, the bigger your pantry gets and the higher your shelves go.

Stretch Goals Build Confidence, Not Just Competence

The best part of reaching higher isn’t what you get—it’s who you become in the process.

Every stretch expands your capacity. Every uncomfortable rep trains your confidence. Every time you reach when it’s easier not to, you remind yourself that your potential was never the problem—your comfort was.

Faith and Stretching

Faith is a stretch before it’s a strength.

Every time God calls you higher, He doesn’t lower the shelf. Instead, He stretches you, and shows you how to reach higher than you ever have before. That’s what faith does. It builds your capacity during the stretch.

When you reach for what’s just out of reach, you’re not just striving—you’re trusting. You’re trusting that what He placed in your heart wasn’t meant to stay at arm’s length, and that He’s already given you the grace to reach it.

So the next time you find yourself being stretched, don’t fight it. Breathe, lean into it, and remember: the stretch is proof that you’re growing into what He’s called you to do.

💥 Leadership Truth Bombs

• “If everything you do sits at eye level, growth stalls.”

• “Stretch goals don’t just build skill—they build strength.”

• “Comfort zones cost more than they give.”

• “You can’t call others higher if you’re still sitting low.”

• “Growth begins at the edge of reach.”

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