“Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you’re doing something that others were unlikely to do, because they’re hiding out in the comfortable zone.” — Seth Godin
One of the keys to your personal greatness, is personal growth. But growth feels awkward.
As one of my mentors put it, “That’s what growth feels like.”
To grow, you have to embrace the discomfort. It feels awkward. It’s uncomfortable. You’re out of your comfort zone. But if you stay in your comfort zone, that’s not where your growth is.
Your growth is where discomfort is. You grow your greatness by exploring and expanding your capabilities. You have to leave the nest to spread your wings. To unleash your potential, and expand what you’re capable of, you have to embrace change and discomfort as a part of the path.
In Squirrels, Boats, and Thoroughbreds, Jamie Gerdsen explains how we have to embrace discomfort, if we want to grow.
Embrace the Discomfort
To grow, you have to embrace the discomfort. The transition will be uncomfortable and scary, but that’s the nature of the beast.
Gerdsen writes:
“To learn, to experience something new, you have to leave your comfort zone. That transition between what was comfortable and what will be comfortable is scary. Everything you thought you knew starts to look wrong. Your head trash really starts doing a number on you. Those who are a tad weak in the knees will fold faster than a cheap card table chair. To grow, you have to embrace the discomfort and work at it until all the shades of gray change back to black and white.”
The More You Embrace Discomfort, the Easier it Gets
To keep growing, you have to stay uncomfortable.
Gerdsen writes:
“Seeing things in black and white again usually means you’ve reached a new comfort zone. Luxuriate in it for just a moment before you jump back into discomfort. Because continuing to grow means you have to stay uncomfortable. The good news is the more you do it, the more natural it becomes.”
Stretch yourself. You might just like what’s possible.
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