By: Leigh Garczynki
March 22, 2020
Stepping out of the box, out of your comfort zone is one of the hardest things a person can do as it takes a person to a place of discomfort. No one likes feeling uncomfortable, but there is not a single person out there that hasn’t experienced that feeling. The difference between people is how they approach it, how they handle it, and how to move forward.
Purposeful discomfort is stepping out of your “comfortable” box and putting yourself in that “uncomfortable” box on purpose. For example: strength training is a form of self-imposed discomfort. Listed below are the benefits of strength training:
-reduces anxiety and stress by releasing endorphins (prevent pain / improve mood and fight depression).
-reduces cognitive decline (dementia)
-burns fat increasing your metabolism
-builds muscle / increases lean muscle / increases connective tissue (strong joints / ligaments and tendons which are all important in preventing injury and osteoarthritis)
-strengthens your bones (back, shoulders, legs, and core)
-brightens your entire day or helps you combat a bad one
Comparing the negatives of being uncomfortable against the list of positives of being uncomfortable for a brief period (under 1 hour) is definitely worth it!
Living in a constant state of being comfortable doesn’t allow a person to grow and become the “best” version of themselves. This is why I like to do the Spartan races. Training for it is not easy! But, committing to it and signing up to have that goal of the race date forces me to prepare not only physically but also mentally. There are some days that I don’t feel like putting myself through the intense training. Those are the days that I have to remind myself of why I committed to this in the first place. For me personally, I like the challenge; I like the team spirit of surrounding myself with positive individuals that will help each other past certain challenges; I like the feeling of achieving things that I didn’t know I could do!
Race day is where the mental uncomfortable zone kicks in. Your adrenaline is high. As a racer you have prepared for this day by putting in all the hard physical work. Now it’s just getting past the mental barrier. The Spartan race is made up of many obstacles and if you can’t do an obstacle the penalty is 30 Burpees (no one wants to do 30 Burpees when you have 25 obstacles to complete, plus the actual run). This is where you have to accept the fact that you as a racer are going to be uncomfortable. Signing up for this I signed up for a purposeful discomfort experience! But, defeating the challenges, the ones that are hard, scary and uncomfortable this is where a person discovers their true self and their true potential!
Stretch yourself to reach your capabilities. This can be applied to any aspect of your life… personal health, business, and relationships. Being uncomfortable doesn’t apply to just the physical! You have to be willing to move towards your own discomfort zones and find a balance between complacency and apathy to keep growing.
When in Doubt, ACTE
Assess the Situation: Solutions naturally evolve when you know what you are dealing with.
Create a Simple Plan: A simple plan is easy to remember and easy to perform and leads to faster results
Take Action: The more direct your route in taking action, the quicker your result.
Evaluate Your Progress: Assess the situation, create a simple plan, take action… now time to evaluate. This is where you apply the “100 percent rule” – If it works 100 percent of the time, it stays. If it doesn’t fix it. If it can’t be fixed, get rid of it!
“Unleashing the Warrior Within” (pg 101) By: Richard J. Machowicz
Become your own creator in creating opportunity to grow, in all aspects of your life. I heard this saying years ago and it has stuck with me… everyone loves the movies, well most do, “treat your life like a movie where you are the director”. To sum it up, as the director of your life you control your story, your destiny. So why not make it the best movie ever!
“Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable”
How to build mental toughness? Do things you don’t like to; pushing yourself to the limits! -David Goggins
