The concept of the perpetual comfort zone is not only unrealistic but dangerous. Though it’s easy to get used to the way things are, one truism in life is that things must change. Relationships flourish, peak, and eventually degrade. Sometimes, they even come back around. But change is inevitable, nonetheless. We should live in expectation of it and prepare ourselves for it to happen.

My mind was blown as a young dude when I came home one day from school. It was a pleasant autumn day–not too warm, not chilly at all, and the sun was out. I’d made plans to knock out my homework with a little time to hang out with my neighborhood pals before dinner. Well, as I rounded the corner, I got the chance to see all of my friends standing downstairs from the apartment where I lived with my parents and siblings. My buddies were helping my dad load a rented truck, in which was our sofa, beds, and boxes of things we owned. My mom was tossing down couch cushions from the second floor window.

That apartment had been far from a paradise. However, I’d gotten used to being there for years. Suddenly, not only were we undergoing a sudden address change due to a rent dispute (the landlord had hiked the amount, trying to make a cash grab before he got rid of the property), but our family dynamic was about to change, as well.

I was a kid and had no say in the things that happened. All I could do was join in with my friends and get the truck loaded.

I took it as a lesson that I used when I grew to adulthood: things must and will change. This benefitted me when I enlisted in the military, moving from one duty station to the other before being assigned to my first ship. Once there, I realized that a vessel can be in one country this week, and hit two other ports in a completely different country before the following week had ended.

So, how does this apply to a hu$tling mindset? The use of knowledge and experience to anticipate and influence outcomes is intelligence.

When you observe a chess set, use the time when you’re not playing to take in the artistry applied to create the pieces and the board. Are the pieces crafted in polished mahogany and the board accented with mother-of-pearl inlay? Good. However, when it’s time to play, understand that all those pieces are designed to move and bring about change. Anticipate that your opponent’s opening move may not be with one of his pawns, but with a knight. Understand how the bishop can come at you from an angle, while the rook can take you head on. Prepare for that. Think several moves ahead and make each one count.

People get enamored in the comfort zones they call their career. For some, their spots are guaranteed and their salaries cover more than what they could ever need. However, for the other 95%, we’re left holding our paycheck, staring at it as if by wishing alone, we can add more zeros.

Nope.

Expect that an employer, like a drug dealer, will give you just enough to get you hooked and keep you coming back. Like a pimp, they may have you out there turning figurative tricks, making money for the company. This is not to debate whether or not the corporation, its board, and its supervisors are inherently demonic–I assure you they probably are not. However, for many, their bosses represent a necessary evil.

So, how can you change that dynamic? Hu$tle. Here are a few steps to consider:

1. Understand that the corporate bottom line and the things they need to get accomplished are different from those of the worker bee.

2. Realize that your job is just a hu$tle. Work it as such.

3. Without necessarily quitting your job, establish yourself elsewhere. Be willing to sacrifice TV and social media time to make your moves.

4. Recognize that, even if you are a pawn on life’s chess board, if properly placed, you can become a more powerful piece.

5. Believe that not only is change inevitable but it gives you the chance to evolve to positively affect that change.

Comfort zones are not only unrealistic but dangerous. Though it’s easy to get used to the way things are, one truism is that life must change. Relationships flourish, peak, and eventually degrade. Sometimes, they even come back around. But change is inevitable, nonetheless.