Deliberate DiSCOMFORT
If I had to sum up my theme for 2024, it was definitely all about “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.” A friend and mentor said these very words to me at the beginning of the year. I was a bit baffled by her statement. Why oh why, would I want to be uncomfortable all the time?
Most people run away from discomfort. The snuggly distractions of television, social media feeds and even excessive amounts of sleep are preferable to being alone with your own thoughts or, doing the hardwork of achieveing your dreams.
Playing the victim and making excuses are far more cozy.
The Truth about discomfort
Discomfort is actually the thing that happens before greatness.
Discomfort is what builds character.
Discomfort creates changes.
Discomfort is what you should be chasing.
The best analogy is aiming for the gola of fitness. If you do the same workout every single day, and you never run faster, run longer, lift more weight, do more reps, stretch further, stretch for longer, or move in various planes of motion, you will not achieve fitness.
You might achieve a short term goal from your starting point, but you will get stuck.
Eventually, the workout will cease to be effective because it no longer challenges your body. When it becomes easy, when it becomes comfortable, it is no longer effective.
The same can be said about doing a project at work. Your boss can assign you a project because she knows you will be great at it. You look at the project and choose the path of least resistance—you know how to write an email and build a landing page. Replicate the last project, make a few tweaks, done.
However, what if you didn’t do what have always been done? What is you asked more questions? What if you interviewed sales people to get customer insights, and talked to subject matter experts to really learn about the product? What if you analyzed the data from previous campaigns and came up with two layouts to test? Oh but all that work and then, what if your boss hates it?
Eeek, that’s uncomfortable.
But, doing the same thing over and over again won’t speed your journey to that raise or promotion or prepare you for the next great thing you just can’t see yet. Going above and beyond will—even if it’s not entirely “right,” everyone, including you, probably learns something.
Achievement is fantastic. However, mistakes are the best lessons.
If everything is handed to you, you don’t learn, you don’t grow.
Everyone has a choice.
Discomfort as a Steppingstone to Greatness
Each time you chase a goal, it should feel uncomfortable.
Writing a book.
Running a marathon.
Getting a promotion.
Growing a garden.
The process of achieving these goals is very hard. If it was easy—everyone would do it. The key is that when you master these goals, to continue on your path of greatness, you must make the mastery more difficult or pursue the next new thing that scares you.
Write a bestseller.
Run an ultra.
Start your own business.
Grow a night blooming jasmine.
You must constantly reinvent the game when it all becomes too easy, or you will not grow. This often why you see people who “have it all” reach the end of their rope. They mastered a skill, made a lot of money, now what?
Do something different. Do something that scares you.
However, discomfort and greatness are not exclusive to big goals, discomfort should accompany the small stuff too.
That difficult conversation you don’t want to have with your boss? Have it.
That new idea you have been dying to pitch? Pitch it.
That outlandish outfit you are yearning to wear? Wear it.
Because there will be growth in whatever discomfort you experience in the process. Maybe everything will go right or maybe everything will go wrong, but another idea, concept, project, outfit, etc. will form clearly in your sights—if you don’t dwell on the mistake and focus on the lesson.
Ready to Get Uncomfortable?
What is that thing that you have been wanting to do?
What is the future you have always imagined?
For some, it might be easier to go big: the house on the beach, vacations in Europe . . . .
You can work backward from there:
The PAtH of discomfort
I’m in that uncomfortable spot—standing at the precipice of change. I’m literally at the edge of the chasm between my old self and my real self.
My stomach is constant turmoil.
My old ways keep calling me back.
I’ll be honest, it is painful.
The resistance is telling me to quit to go back to my life on the predictable path—the path that will keep me waking up every day doing the same things, having the same conversations and wishing things could be different.
You know, the whole “it is what it is” kind of life?
Some of you might say, “Just be happy.”
While I am happy that I am at a place that will push me to pursue living for my purpose, I am not and will never again be happy with the status quo.
Satisfaction with the status quo will keep anyone from growing and becoming greater each day. It prevents you from living your purpose as it evolves.
The status quo isn’t average, it is stopping at an achievement and saying, ok, I’m done. Never stop listening for and opening the door to the next great thing.
If you stay the same, you will continue to give your time and attention to things that push you further away from my purpose. You will live with that niggling in the back of your mind—is this all there is?
You will wake up in 5, 10, 15 years and ask, “where did my life go?”
Goodbye comfortable.
Goodbye status quo.
Hello greatness.
Hello happiness.
With even the simplest things–watchng your kid at practice or eating dinner as a family–how often do you find yourself saying, “I just don’t have time/money/energy.”?
How often do go through the motions of some of these things but never live in the moment because of work or school or fatigue?
Someday will never find you if you don’t start getting uncomfortable and going after what is calling you. On the other side of discomfort is happiness.
I can tell you from experience that it can be a long, hard road but faith and perseverance are not without great rewards.
Happiness Exists on the Other side of Discomfort
I’m in the midst of discomfort and well on my way to happiness and living my purpose. Want to join in? Join the conversation where we talk about the discomforts of the pursuit and support one another navigating the path to happiness, success, and fulfilled life.
