I'm Uncomfortable!
"I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work." – Thomas Edison
Imagine yourself strolling down a street. It’s lined with colorful foliage, the scent of wild flowers follows the light breeze and the road seems to be paved from a cloud because each cushioned step you take is propelling you forward with ease.
Now imagine yourself walking along another trail. This one is cold, gray and gloomy with near impossible footing - from all the rocks, pebbles, boulders and roots – and a cliff on both sides. Each step you take is unsure and to be honest, a bit scary.
Which path would you rather be on? Sounds easy right? What if the easy street leads to a steel wall without an option to turn back and the rocky road leads to warm slippers and a party with your favorite people – does your answer change?
This is life – easy paths that bring you nowhere and harder paths that bring you closer to happiness. The problem is that we all want to follow the path of least resistance. It’s easier to pick that same-old routine because it’s cushy and comfortable. You have tried that rocky trail, but it was just too darn hard so you quickly turned back and hopped on easy street. Although you are disappointed you say to yourself, “So what if I don’t meet my goals?” or WORSE, “I’m never going to reach my goals, they’re just too hard. I’m destined to be this boring, sick, overweight version of me.”
Nothing in life is easy! As a baby it took months to learn how to walk. Did you throw a tantrum, stop trying and revert to crawling for the rest of your life? As a young child it took training wheels and many wobbly rides to enjoy your first bike ride on the straight and narrow. Did you throw your bike down the first time you fell and never picked it up again? No, you kept trying until you could successfully walk on your own two feet and ride like the wind!
These are just two examples of how hard you work every day at things that matter. The road to happiness is not all roses and puppies. Growth occurs when you challenge yourself, fall every once in a while, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game.
How can you be comfortable with the uncomfortable? Knowing and understanding these three things can help you embrace discomfort.
There are No Quick Fixes
Even Band-Aids and emergent surgery do not fix the injury, the healing process does, which takes days to years. Same thing with any nutrition, fitness and life goals. You can’t lose 10 pounds (safely) in one week, you can’t train for a marathon in a week and you can’t build a deep relationship in a week. When you set impossible timelines for your goals you set yourself up for frustration and disappointment that leads to giving up. Do you have 100 pounds to lose? Don’t expect to lose it in a month or even a couple of months. Give yourself a bunch of short term goals to bring you to your long term goal. Start one week at a time. Soon week upon week upon week of steady weight loss will add up to your long term goal!
There is No Such Thing as Failure
If any great inventor quit after his first or even 50th failure, we would still be in the stone ages. If something didn’t work for you, don’t consider it failure – consider it feedback. As you walk down the rocky trail, it’s inevitable you will slip. Have you failed walking? No, you found a rock that didn’t suit your footing. With each step you are giving yourself feedback about your journey – what works, what doesn’t. Use that data to make a decision about your next step. Did you try to go cold turkey on avoiding all things sugar and could only hold on for one day? That’s feedback, cold turkey doesn’t work for you right now. Instead, try switching your afternoon chocolate fix to another naturally sweet treat like berries and yogurt, even better have some yogurt with raw cocoa mixed in!
There is No Such Thing as a One-Man Island
You do not live a hermit or nomad existence. As part of society you are surrounded by family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and strangers. ALL of these people influence your decisions and goals. Some loved ones can be saboteurs, innocently or not, distracting you from your goals. Some strangers may resonate some message of inspiration without even knowing it. Find the inspiration and support you need – whether through those closest to you, a new group, a book or even a mantra you heard someone else say. You cannot do this alone, no one can, so why not get the most out of your social circle!
When you stop searching for quick fixes, stop thinking you failed your goals and stop trying to go it alone you have then stopped following the path of least resistance! Your footing becomes more assured on that rocky trail and the party celebrating your successes is right there waiting for you!