The benefits of getting comfortable with discomfort
Earlier this month (February 2020) I doubled the distance of my previous longest run ever by completing the Tarawera 102km trail race.
I crossed the finish line feeling a mix of emotions: Pride. Joy. Relief.
Mostly relief.
Because let me tell you, running that far for the first time hurt like hell.
I was on my feet for almost 14.5 hours, taking more steps in a row than I ever had before, and whoa - the impact on my knees and hips sure added up over time.
By kilometer 70, my joints were pleading with me to stop the insanity.
But here's the interesting thing that occurred to me while I was running this distance that was not only new to me but well beyond anything I'd done before:
I actually knew this feeling.
I remembered how I'd felt finishing my first 50km race at the end of last year (from which I'd recovered well) and recognized that the pain, as terrible as it was, wasn't the "bad" pain that meant impending injury but rather was the "good" pain that inevitably arises from pushing past one's comfort zone.
That familiar feeling of discomfort in my joints provided me with two useful insights:
that I wasn't injured (I'd just taken a lot of steps); and
that I'd grown and expanded my capacity since the last race because the pain didn't even kick in until well after the 50km mark this time around.
Whether you're striving to get better in a sports context or a relationship context or a leadership context...if you're not in your comfort zone, you're likely in the discomfort zone.
And that's where the growth happens.
You expand your comfort zone every time you:
say "no" to taking on a project you don't have time for even when it's in your comfort zone to say "yes".
make a timely decision amidst uncertainty even when it's in your comfort zone to wait for more data (and wait, and wait, and wait...).
provide feedback to a team member even when it's in your comfort zone to stay silent.
address a rift in a relationship even when it's in your comfort zone to just avoid seeing that person.
While learning can happen through an event where knowledge is transmitted - even if you're safe and rather passively listening, watching, or reading some information - true development is a process that must be earned for oneself. It often entails some risk on the part of the person who wishes to grow, which, in my experience, tends to feel uncomfortable.
I share this in the hope that you, too, will continue to deepen your self-awareness and refine your definitions of "good" and "bad" pain.
Then seize (or create!) opportunities to lean into the discomfort that frequently arises from stretching beyond your comfort zone so that you can develop into the person you want to become.
