Are you uncomfortable right now?
Comfort is overrated. We should not be striving for comfort because personal growth requires us to move beyond our well-worn happy places.
If you haven’t made yourself uncomfortable lately, then chances are you have grown stagnate and complacent. You are not pursuing life to the fullest anymore.
I say toss out the La-Z-Boy and the television along with it and make yourself uncomfortable! Let your recliner rot from lack of attention! Grab yourself a big piece of life and accept that comfort is NOT an option!
Regular People Are Vulnerable to Comfort
As a regular guy, I know that I am susceptible to getting comfortable. I can easily adopt one the following rampant attitudes:
- I’ve worked hard this week and I deserve a break.
- The time just isn’t right. I’ll pursue that when the kids are older.
- I don’t have the money to invest in myself right now.
- I’m not trying that. It sounds like a load of crap to me.
- My wife would think I’ve completely lost my mind.
- That’s just not me. It might be fine for others, but not for me.
- Where I’m at right now is pretty good and who knows what’s over there.
Let me point out that there may be some truth in one or more of the statements above, but all too often, I simply use them as excuses. I get used to my comfortable little place in life and begin to think I want to put down permanent roots right where I’m at in my growth.
I’ve been reading The Little House on the Prairie Series of books to my oldest daughter and I’m amazed. Pa was definitely not a comfort addict. (By the way, this is a terrific set of books to read to your kids. It is really amazing how different life was back then!)
Charles Ingalls, aka Pa, would no sooner get his family settled somewhere before he was packing everything up in the wagon to move again. And this guy wasn’t just taking them to the next neighborhood over. Oh no, he would move them out onto the wide-open prairie right smack in the middle of Indian Territory where they were completely dependent on their own ability to survive.
Pa wasn’t irresponsible and he didn’t go chasing after half-baked opportunities, but he took chances. He was constantly seeking a better life for his family and he didn’t let anything stand in his way. He pursued his dreams and he inspired his wife and kids to go right along with him.
He didn’t let comfort or naysayers or fear stand in his way. He was confident in his abilities and he faced life head on. He didn’t let the comfortable hold him back from something better.
I want to strive to be more like Pa. He was a regular guy like me and he had a deep desire to live the best life possible. He never let any of the excuses above hold him back.
It Is the Tractor Beam Opposing Personal Growth
Comfort is often a subtle, but powerful force keeping us stuck in one place. If you are a science fiction fan, then think of comfort as the tractor beam opposing our personal growth. It holds us back from moving towards our best life.
“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” ~ Sun Tzu
If comfort is our inner enemy, then we must learn how to defeat it. To win this battle, we must get familiar with how the tractor beam works.
Let’s examine what makes comfort such a powerful tractor beam. It uses the following tactics:
- Fear – Comfort reminds us that we are pretty happy right where we are or at least we’re in control. If we start trying to grow, then things might take off in a direction that is irreversible and possibly harmful to us. Why not just stay right here where things are stable?
- Intimidation – Comfort threatens that our crazy actions will likely cause us to lose what we have. It tells us that we might be wrong about what we want and if we can’t undo it once we get it started, then we might make ourselves mighty uncomfortable. Comfort whispers, “You know it is better to just not go there or I might have to take drastic action against you.”
- Resistance – Comfort will enlist the help of others around us to hold us back. Our trying to grow will often make our spouses, friends or bosses uncomfortable. They won’t like this so they will resist. They will try to talk us out of our plans. They will be difficult and might even pick a fight with us to try to make us give up on our pursuit of growth. Comfort has allies.
- Embarrassment – OMG, you’re idea is crazy. What will other people think when they find out? They will think you are silly. Why would you risk what you have to go after something so ridiculous. How are you going to make a living doing that? If you want to risk your whole reputation on this, then go ahead, but do it without me. Do you hear comfort talking here?
Get the idea? Comfort is a crackerjack pro at using whatever it takes to try to talk us out of moving out of the zone. Recognizing its sneaky, but effective ways is paramount to defeating it.
Of course, comfort is a master liar that will disguise himself as all kinds of things in your mind. Discover the truth to set yourself free.
The truth is as follows:
The path we have to take to get ahead in life requires that we push ourselves beyond that which is comfortable. We must accept the risks involved in personal growth. Continuing to pursue growth is what keeps our relationships, careers and dreams from dying. Everything else is hogwash.
Kicking Comfort to the Curb and Embracing Life
I’ve said before that if you are facing opposition, then you must be doing something right. Kick comfort to the curb! It is seductive and alluring, but lethal to living life to the fullest. Don’t let it hold you back any longer with its powerful tentacles. Break free, make some sacrifices and move beyond your comfort zone to discover a whole new world out there just waiting for you to embrace it.
In what area of your life do you most need to make yourself uncomfortable?
Photo by Robert S. Donovan
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I agree, comfort can be the excuse that people use to stay where they are. I constantly have to fight complacency with where I am in life. However, becoming a new parent and some challenges at work are keeping me busy now….
Tim – Having a baby definitely pushes most people out of their comfort zone. It was certainly an experience that stretched me. Of course, I’ve learned a lot from being a dad and the rewards are incredible!
Fear can be a huge stumbling block for me when it comes to personal growth. I’ve found myself sinking into that level of comfort many times throughout my life and I’ve used every excuse in the book. Life is “ok”…I’m too busy keeping the kids in line…I would like to change that but that but I don’t have time. You know what happens though..when I do finally step up to the plate and move forward I realize that it’s rejuvenating to make changes and I become a better person because of it.
.-= Tina@RideOnToys´s last blog ..The Power Wheels Harley Davidson Rocks! =-.
Tina – It is rejuvenating when we grow, isn’t it? It is funny how we so often resist, but then when we do it anyway, we feel so great! I don’t know how to tell people this and convince them of it. I think you just have to learn it through experience.
Hey Jeff,
I’ve seen this in other people, and I am definitely guilty of it as well. It’s easy to be complacent when things are going pretty well, and even if they’re not perfect, you don’t have the desire to change things because it’s “good enough” and we aren’t backed into a corner where we *have* to change
I find that a related problem is not tracking my goals progress, and then pretending everything is going well, when in fact I know deep down if I actually tracked it, I’d see that I’m falling short. That’s why I am a stickler for logging my workouts and my caloric intake all the time – whether I am dieting, bulking or on maintenance. It doesn’t mean I am 100% where I need to be with my fitness, and I’m not even flawless in my tracking (though I am really close) – but it does help keep me focused, on track – and I can’t pretend things are ok if they aren’t
.-= Sid Savara´s last blog ..13 Ways To Improve Your Concentration With a Distraction Free Work Environment =-.
Sid – I’m definitely a proponent of tracking results and it is certainly a technique that can make you very uncomfortable because it brings your results (or lack thereof) out into the light. You give a great example with physical fitness. Another area where this is important is with personal finances. People will resist using a budget with an incredible amount of passion because it will hold them accountable.
You’re right on!
When we push ourselves outside
of our comfort zone, we grow…
and if we’re not growing, then
we’re comfortable.
It’s in the growth in life where
we experience the most JOY… and
that is the purpose of life:)
Thanks for sharing!
.-= Eric Goldstein´s last blog ..Manifesting What You Want: A Process To Do It =-.
Eric – It is funny and kind of ironic that we find joy when we journey out of our comfort zone. Comfort is like a big, old bear trap. It grabs hold and it won’t let go. Of course, if we don’t break free, then our fate is sealed.
Excellent reminders Jeff.
Sometimes fear does keep me trapped inside my comfort zone. However, when I look beyond the fear I see a wonderful place to live – a place of growth and abundance.
So, to your point, to get to where I want to go in life, comfort is not an option.
Alex
Alex – Fear is a powerful force. Instead of letting it hold us back, we need to use it to propel us forward. Isn’t it scary to imagine your life without any growth? What if you stop growing and that costs you your job or business? That’s fear that will push you to be a little uncomfortable now in order to avoid big discomfort later.
I actually get uncomfortable being comfortable. I’ll often start on another goal before the one I’m working one now long term has finished. The feeling of power is indredible and worth so much more than giving in.
.-= Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com´s last blog ..Tabata Intervals : Day 30 (Post Mortem) =-.
Pain brings the most growth.
Good post!
“We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present” – Thomas Edison
“Comfort reminds us that we are pretty happy right where we are or at least we’re in control” – or it makes us lie to ourselves that everything is okay while it’s the complete opposite.
I like to remind myself that every time I avoid a situation that makes me feel uncomfortable, I avoid a chance to grow. And since I’m addicted to self-improvement, it usually helps me step outside my comfort zone.