The most successful people don't avoid discomfort - they deliberately seek it out.
I remember sitting across from David, a senior executive who came to me because he'd been passed over for promotion three times.
Smart guy.
Technically brilliant.
But something was missing.
"What's the most uncomfortable conversation you've had in the last month?" I asked him.
He thought for a moment.
"I don't really do uncomfortable conversations," he replied.
"I try to keep things civil."
That was the problem.
David had built his entire career avoiding discomfort.
He mistook being nice for being kind.
Sidestepping difficult feedback.
Dancing around conflicts.
Never pushing into the growth zone where real progress happens.
The truth is, your comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.
This doesn't mean seeking discomfort for discomfort's sake.
We're not talking about cold showers and sleeping on the floor (though if that's your thing, more power to you!).
What I'm suggesting is a deliberate practice of expanding your tolerance for situations that make you uneasy.
A few years back, I found myself paralysed by the thought of public speaking.
The irony wasn't lost on me.
I could negotiate with armed kidnappers, but put me on a stage and I'd freeze.
Instead of avoiding it, I joined a group coaching cohort for public speaking.
Every week, I'd stand up, heart pounding, palms sweating, and speak for a few minutes.
It was excruciating at first.
But as time went on, my comfort zone expanded.
The discomfort didn't disappear, I just got comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Now I speak to thousands of people regularly, and while I still get butterflies, they fly in formation.
To wrap up:
The goal isn't to eliminate discomfort, it's to expand your capacity to function effectively within it.
As Theodore Roosevelt wisely noted: "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty."
Or to put it more simply: Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Until next week,
Scott
p.s. A quick update on Thrive Under Pressure: The waitlist is now closed. To everyone who joined the waitlist - keep an eye on your inboxes over the next few days for an exclusive offer. I've been overwhelmed by the response, and I'm putting together something special just for you.
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