“Getting Comfortable with Discomfort”

Most things worth having or doing involve risk, hard work, and discomfort. If they didn’t, everyone would do them, and it wouldn’t be rare for people to do great things.

“Unfortunately in our world we pay a lot of attention to high light reals, but never seem to consider all the work, effort, energy and discomfort to create those high lights.”

For example, any basketball player who shoots over 90% at the free-throw line spends much extra time shooting thousands of free throws after practice.

I was talking to a friend who is starting a new business the other day. His company is service-oriented and requires him to network every day. It requires him to meet new people and connect relationally many times daily. I’m sure many of you think, “Hey, that’s my kind of job.” However, for him, it is tough because he is an introvert.

“The only problem is, he can’t succeed at his business if he does that.”

He would be okay being with those closest to him, encountering very few people, and living a quiet life. The only problem is that he can’t succeed at his business if he does that.

His days are uncomfortable for him. He has to get out of his comfort zone daily to succeed. What he told me was interesting, though. He said, “I had to make a decision. I decided that succeeding as an entrepreneur was more important than my comfort.”

“He also told me that the more he gets out of his comfort zone, the more comfortable he gets with his discomfort.”

Success comes from our daily commitment to work consistently on the things that get the job done. Those daily commitments are often outside our comfort zone, and challenges usually require discipline and focus.

What is more important to us: our development, success, significance, or comfort?

“I find that when we are more committed to our comfort than we are to our discipline, we are unable to overcome obstacles when faced with them. We find ourselves defaulting to a place of ease instead of pressing through. We find ourselves opting for the ordinary, when the extraordinary lays just on the other side of our discomfort.”

I have the incredible privilege of traveling the world and connecting with people of all different cultures, languages, and ethnicities. I never have a problem meeting new people and fitting right in; it’s truly a gift that God has given me. However, I am incredibly nervous about all the details of travel: all the connections that must be made, all the airports, the security, luggage, etc. I wouldn’t say I like it. It makes me uncomfortable every time. Every trip as I pack, I have a knot in the pit of my stomach and barely tolerate the process.

I’ve even had moments where I thought, ” I’m just not doing this anymore, ” but my passion for making a difference, mentoring leaders, and helping people desperately need it always pulls me past the comfort limitations. I willingly embrace my discomfort to accomplish my purpose.
So, our question today is simply this. What is truly more important, our comfort or our purpose?

If it is our comfort, then I’m afraid our lives will be filled with mediocrity, averageness, and a lukewarm approach to everything.

However, if we decide it’s our purpose, let’s focus on the daily commitments to press forward to excellence and the extraordinary by simply becoming comfortable with our discomfort.