Get Uncomfortable to Get Ahead

The moderator called my name, and suddenly, everything went silent. I was standing on the stage of a large tech conference, staring into a dark room. The audience was just a shapeless, shadowy mass—one giant, dark pudding. Random murmurs filled the air, but I could only focus on the tiny specks of dust dancing in the beam of light from the overhead projector. Time seemed to stretch, each second crawling as my mind raced with a single, absurd thought: How can I break my arm, fast?

Funny how our brains work. When faced with something uncomfortable, our instinct is to escape. And it doesn’t get more uncomfortable than standing in front of a crowd, vulnerable, exposed, and out of your depth.

But here’s the thing. In business, even your dream job will come with tasks that make you squirm. Maybe you dread sales; the thought of approaching strangers with a pitch makes your palms sweat. Or perhaps accounting feels like slowly jabbing your eye with a spoon. Whatever it is, business is hard, and reaching escape velocity requires you to do the uncomfortable, the tedious, and the downright unpleasant.

In life, we’re experts at avoiding discomfort. We delegate, automate, and outsource the tasks we don’t like. We pay for convenience and freedom from chores. And while this is a sign of progress, it also weakens our ability to endure discomfort—the very discomfort we need to grow our businesses and ourselves. Growth happens outside of our comfort zones. Remove discomfort, and you stop growing. It’s as simple as that.

Embracing Discomfort in Small Doses

This isn’t about embracing discomfort for its sake. We don’t need to turn our lives into a constant uphill battle. But what if we could introduce small, controlled doses of discomfort into our daily routines? Just enough to keep that resilience muscle strong.

Think about it like exercise. You don’t train for a marathon by running 26 miles on day one. You start with smaller, manageable runs and gradually build up your endurance. The same goes for discomfort.

My Cold Shower Routine

For me, this started with something as simple as a cold shower. I know what you’re thinking—cold showers are just another wellness fad. But hear me out. The power of a cold shower isn’t in the temperature; it’s in the mindset it forces you into. Every time you step under that icy stream, your body screams to get out. But you train yourself to withstand discomfort by staying there, even for just a minute. And the best part? It never gets easier. The water stays just as cold and shocking every time, which is exactly the point.

My “cold shower” was giving conference talks back in the day. The stress was so intense that I’d fantasize about breaking an arm to avoid it. But I gave the talks, and guess what? My arms are still intact. The struggle never disappeared, but each talk made me stronger and more capable of handling discomfort.

Key Takeaway: Flex the Discomfort Muscle

So here’s my challenge: deliberately reintroduce discomfort into your life. Start with something small, like a cold shower. Flex that discomfort muscle daily because you’ll need it to endure the hardships of growth and push yourself beyond the limits of what you think is possible.