Stay Outside Your Comfort Zone

Trust Me. It Is Good For You

“There is a stone in my shoe, I’ve tried to shake it out, but when I take my shoe off and shake, nothing falls out, I rub my sock, but there is nothing there. I put my shoe back on and there it is again, a stone in my shoe.”

The Stone In My Shoe by Danny Carr

Amanda Lang is the author of a book I thoroughly enjoy, “The Beauty of Discomfort.” She promotes the idea that discomfort is good for us and writes: “Truly successful people don’t merely tolerate discomfort—they embrace it and seek it out again and again.”

1. A stone in a walking shoe creates discomfort.

2. The unknown in a dark alley causes discomfort.

3. An empty bank account creates discomfort.

4. Being fired from a job creates discomfort.

The key is how we cope with this discomfort. Because as humans, we are geared towards seeking comfort, well-being, and feeling relief or consolation. And so:

1. I am mindful and shift my weight to the other leg.

2. I am redefining the dark alley in my mind by imagining the positive.

3. I am in denial and continue to spend using my credit card.

4. I am embracing this change and starting my own business.

“Business founders and university students, top athletes and couch potatoes, meditation gurus, and military leaders all have very different ways of coping with discomfort, but the most successful among them believe that withstanding discomfort is a skill that has helped them in hugely positive ways. Some were forced into discomfort through no choice of their own—a life-altering illness, a business fiasco—while others signed up for it because they had goals they were determined to achieve.” – Amanda Lang

So why is a degree of discomfort inherently good for us? It can spur us on, pushing us to test our own limits because learning to tolerate and then embrace discomfort is the foundation for change and growth.

Three years ago, I was not comfortable recording a video or taking part in a podcast. I was more comfortable in a one-on-one conversation than in one-to-many networking or speaking engagements. I was not comfortable sharing my own experiences, failures, or feelings in a public post. And I was less inclined to admit that I did not know something and ask for help.

Since then, I have recorded numerous videos, attended a large number of in-person and virtual networking events, written weekly blog posts, and have a tremendous team of partners and advisors.

And I do see it in myself when Amanda Lang writes, “becoming comfortable with discomfort won’t just make us more resilient and more successful, however we define success. It will also make us happier.”

As I think about becoming comfortable with discomfort, I feel I need to break it down into a continuous cycle of three steps:

1. Since I am wired for comfort, discomfort causes change.

2. The change leads to comfort.

3. And then I actively seek out the next discomfort.

Stephen Guise explains the benefits very well: “Temporary Discomfort Increases Your Long-Term Comfort Zone. Bingo! The more discomfort you introduce into your life, the more your comfort zone will expand. This is a whole lot more valuable than any cozy night on the couch. The whole point of expanding your comfort zone is to be more comfortable in more situations.”

Think about what causes you discomfort and then actively seek it out.

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Karl Moore – Why Being Uncomfortable Can Be A Great Thing

Stephen Guise – Why It’s So Important to Seek Discomfort

Amanda Lang – The Beauty of Discomfort

Photo by Anne Gosewehr