Limitless Monday – Why embracing discomfort leads to success

One of the first pieces of advice I can remember receiving as a child was, “Don’t force it!”. I was assembling a toy at the time, and it was more a command than advice, but my friend’s father followed up with a short speech on the perils of forcing things. The reason I remember his words, uttered some 40 years ago, is because I didn’t agree with him then, and I definitely don’t agree with him now.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man”.

The unreasonable child would undoubtedly take offense at the thought of being prevented from forcing his square peg into the round hole.

I am reading a book at the moment called The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil.

It’s a tough book to read, heavy on technical terms and scientific thought, most of which are beyond my comprehension. The audio version is 24 hours long. If I was forcibly locked in a cupboard and made to listen to this book in one sitting my head would explode after less than 2 hours. But, despite the unrelenting boredom I face from the moment the narrator starts talking, I force myself to listen for a minimum of an hour a day for I know it is going to be good for me.

I am of the opinion that if I can learn at least one useful insight from this book, the 24 hours won’t be wasted. Apart from the fact I am listening to it while cycling to and from work or on the step machine at the gym. Ordinarily it’s dead time, so what are the alternatives, listening to Taylor Swift?

Here is a brief description of the book to give you an idea of the content.

“The Singularity is Near” is a non-fiction book published in 2005. The book discusses the technological advancements that will be made in the future, including the development of artificial intelligence, and how these advancements will affect human life.

This article isn’t my attempt to persuade you to read this topical book. Far from it. My intent is to impress upon you the importance of doing things you don’t want to do.

Reading a book, taking a meeting, going on a day trip, a first date, attending a course, beginning a fitness regime, learning a language, starting a business, buying a house, even going for a run.

I have found that the majority of the decisions I make where I have to force myself to take that first step usually turn out to be the best decisions. How many times has a child said they don’t want to do something, thrown an almighty tantrum only to have to be dragged away when it is finally time to leave the party they refused to go to? It’s the same with adults. We throw the same tantrums, a little more subdued but with the same purpose in mind.

The most successful businesses I have ever started were ones where I was reluctant to make that initial investment. The same can be said for some of the best investments I have made.

So what is the moral of the story?

Success is achieved by doing things you really don’t want to do. Where everyone around you is questioning your sanity. If the crowd says it’s a great idea, it usually isn’t.

It is common knowledge that the best times are usually experienced when you have zero expectations. If you show up to a party expecting a great time, it’s usually a major let down.

This Monday do something that you have been resisting for some time. Once you have completed this mission, select something else you have been procrastinating over, and take your first step to turning that idea into reality.

Making decisions based on instincts is not a bad strategy, however, often there is something blurring our vision, preventing us from taking that first step. Maybe you don’t like the idea of your bank account being depleted when considering starting your new business, buying a house, a car, a bike, or making an investment.

Perhaps you can’t be bothered to leave the house, preferring the idea of sitting on a sofa eating Domino’s to taking a shower, dressing up, and taking the journey into the city for that networking event.

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It’s easy to say no. But as soon as you say no you take the dead end road. Yes leads to the open road of adventure. Think hard before you say no.

Make the effort, spend the money, utilize the time. One of these endeavors which you choose to act upon will be the catalyst that will transform your life. It only takes one hard decision to alter the course of your life, but those are the best decisions, and you will never look back. It’s the difference between Roger Federer and someone who never picked up a tennis racket!

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Intensity. Image Credit – John Arano