Years ago I heard someone share this, “The comfort zone is the danger zone.”
If there is anything I have learned in the past few years, as an entrepreneur, a business leader, a newly married spouse, and a parent, it’s this… They were right. The best things in life will make you uncomfortable.
Why is that? It’s because the best things in life, the ones that have the potential to create the most meaning, are the ones that require the most effort and work. To run your business, lead a team, or perform well in your career, you’ll need to work. To be the spouse or parent you want, and create deep relationships in your life, you’ll need to work. To create a legacy for your life and to impact others, you’re going to need to work. And you’ll need to get out of your comfort zone.
Why is being comfortable so dangerous?
It usually means you’re settling for status quo. To be clear, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be content. Living a life of envy is equally dangerous to being comfortable. What I am saying is this. There are certain areas in your life where you need to quit settling.
How’s your marriage? “Good.”
How’s your team? “OK.”
How are your kids? “Fine.”
Those are the kind of answers that should be reserved for someone who’s asking you how your burger tastes, not for questions about your work and business or your closest relationships. If you’re looking at the list of things that matter to you, and those are the words you’re using to describe where you’re at, it’s time to get uncomfortable.
So how do you take the leap to get uncomfortable and do it in a way that creates real change?
It starts with uncovering what really makes you tick. In my business, when we’re helping clients tell the stories of their brands, we ask their teams a handful of questions to uncover what they’re passionate about. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What’s the best part of your day? What gives you goosebumps? What difference are you trying to create?
It’s much easier to get uncomfortable when you understand WHY you’re getting uncomfortable. I go to the gym in the morning because of my “why.” I want to live a long, active life with my wife and children. With that in mind, I get myself out of bed in the morning, push myself harder on the bike, and do more reps. It’s super uncomfortable, and I rarely get that athlete’s high people talk about. What I do get is the ability to say, “Great!” when people ask me how I’m feeling, rather than “Good.”
The Takeaway
Look around your life and find that one spot where things are just “OK,” and you’ve been comfortable being uncomfortable. Then, get up and do something about it! Status quo is counting on the fact that you’re going to sit there, do nothing, and settle. Don’t! Figure out your why, write it on a Post-It note, slap it on your mirror and get uncomfortable!