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Writer's pictureDave Anderson

Growth and Comfort Cannot Coexist

If comfort is our goal, we will stagnate.

 

There are a lot of external challenges that are thrown in a leader’s path - market shifts, policy changes, poor communication, and personnel turmoil.  There are also obstacles that we create for ourselves.  One of those obstacles is the desire to be comfortable.  Here is a truth every leader needs to embrace:  


Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

 

The desire for comfort is not a bad thing by itself, but it is also a desire that will stunt your growth.  Growth and comfort cannot coexist in the same person.  You know this to be true.  When you look backwards you will realize that the toughest circumstances were also the situations where you learned and grew the most.  You are who you are today because of the times you were uncomfortable not because of the moments things were easy.

 

But our human nature and even our society makes us search for an ever increasing level of comfort in our lives.  As we become more and more successful, maintaining our comfort becomes more and more important. The problem with that is when comfort becomes our goal, we will stagnate.  Who we are today will be the best we will ever be.  I am in my late 50’s now, I do not want this to be the apex of my growth. Do you?

 

I am not suggesting everyone should go climb Mount Everest or swim the English Channel.  But I do want people to embrace the small difficulties in life as opportunities instead of things to be dreaded.  When hard things happen, we are facing a chance to grow.  These are opportunities to exercise Courage and Positivity.

 

Courage: Acting despite perceived or actual risk.

Positivity:  Displaying a positive and/or “can do” attitude in all circumstances.

 

The circumstances we face give us a choice.  We can avoid the risks of that challenge and decide the circumstances are too overwhelming.  Or, we can exercise the Courage to face those circumstances with an attitude that says, 

 

“I/we will find a way.”

 

When we stop facing challenges and avoid the discomfort challenges bring, we may protect ourselves from the immediate discomfort, but we set ourselves up to be a lesser version of who we could become.  Comfort is the enemy here, not the difficulties in front of us.

 

We have to embrace discomfort if we want to grow,  Our comfort zones are our mediocrity zones.  Growth requires us to embrace discomfort.  A comfortable leader, at work or at home, is a stagnant leader.

 

Here are some ideas that may help you break free of your comfort zone:

 

●      Learn a new skill or language.

●      Play a video game with your kids.

●      Do your spouse’s chores for a week.

●      Go back and do the work of an entry level employee for a day.

●      Cross train with someone in another department and learn their job.

●      Read an article/book that takes a different position than you normally take.

 

I once heard National Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter say, “Growth and comfort can’t coexist.”  This truth bomb stuck with me that day.  My hope is that you see the truth in that and look for a way to be uncomfortable this week!

 

P.S.  Read The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.  It is one of the best books I’ve read this year.


Question:

●      When was the last time you were truly uncomfortable and how did you respond?

●      Looking back, what would you change and/or what did you learn about yourself?

 

Here is a quick assessment that will take you 5 minutes to figure it out. Nobody will ever see your results but you.

 

Warning: If you are not going to be honest with yourself this is a worthless assessment.

To take the assessment use the QR code above or go to www.MYCHARACTERTEST.com

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