I’m sure your first instinct when you read the title is to think, “Why on earth would I want to embrace discomfort?” Most of you would prefer to seek pleasure and avoid pain. That’s human nature and completely normal. But I want to let you in on a little secret…embracing discomfort is actually the key to your success.
When you go after something that is new + different, it’s naturally going to feel scary because your brain is wired for survival. You will want to take the path of least resistance. You will want someone to tell you the “how” when it comes to doing something this new to you. But you are the only one that can answer that question for yourself. And to do that, you are likely going to have to get a wee bit uncomfortable.
When it comes to reaching your goals and your dreams, you have to be willing to feel uncomfortable on purpose. It is the currency to fulfilling your dreams. You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You must be willing to deal with the temporary discomfort of trying something new because if you don’t, you will have to deal with the long-term discomfort of not achieving your dreams.
When you try to avoid the discomfort, you will likely feel like shit. But instead of discomfort that moves your forward, you end up indulging in confusion, doubt, self-pity, and fear. These feelings will lead to inaction instead of massive actions and they will ultimately cost you your dream. When you are afraid to embrace discomfort, you stand still, instead of moving closer to your goals, you actually end up holding yourself back.
But the thing about learning to embrace discomfort is the more you practice it, the easier it becomes for you. You can then plan for the failure. The rejection. The discomfort. And know that you will be okay. It becomes easier to navigate life + the world in general.
So how do you learn to handle discomfort? Keep reading below.
#1. Figure out your why.
There’s a risk you want to take or a goal you want to reach, but it seems daunting + scary. To help you push through, ask yourself these questions: Why do I want to achieve this goal? Why will I do it no matter what? Who will I be accountable to?
#2. How can you change your perspective on discomfort?
What if you were to think about what is on the other side of your fear? Is there joy + exhilaration for overcoming the obstacle and surviving? If fear is holding you back, what could you think instead to maybe feel become more willing, or disciplined, or committed, or excited about reaching your goal? Also, something to think about is how boring it is to do the same thing day in and day out…over and over again. When you do something scary you jump into a new chapter of life that offer more opportunities for thrills + excitement. And envision your future self that you’d like to become and what she is likely thinking of the current version of you. She’s likely pretty damn proud of you for taking the risk + being willing to be momentarily uncomfortable. She will be thanking you for stepping outside of your comfort zone and allowing yourself to evolve.
#3 – Take the plunge.
As Nike says, just do it. The more time you spend pondering about it, the longer it’s going to take to attain your dreams. So if you are thinking about it, just freakin’ do it! If you are one of those people that gets nervous or anxious about taking a risk 99% of the time, it might be time to start putting yourself out there more. Start small. Take baby steps and build up momentum. You will start to build up courage the more you start taking risks and allowing yourself to embrace discomfort.
#4 – Reflect.
I bet after the fact you will realize that it wasn’t as bad as you originally thought. You didn’t die and you probably learned something. And discomfort is literally just a vibration in your body. It’s something that you will always survive. Allowing yourself to step into moments of discomfort is a great way to rediscover the inner strength that is within you that sometimes gets buried deep as you get older. You will realize that you are way stronger than you think. You are a badass that will not only survive, but you will thrive!
Are you wanting to learn more about embracing discomfort but need some guidance with how to do it?
Sign up for a FREE phone consultation with me so you can learn more about how 1:1 life coaching can help you embrace the discomfort and help you ultimately reach all of your goals + dreams.
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