Did you know being productively uncomfortable is a superpower?
Yep… you hear all the time motivational leaders saying “you got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable” ... and there is a good reason for this.
If you have a look at high-performing leaders, feeling uncomfortable is the key to their success… to the point where there is enough research that shows productivity discomfort is a real thing.
Although it may not feel comfortable in that very moment, a little discomfort goes a long way if you want to grow, stretch, and thrive.
Neuroscience shows us that the brain when challenged ‘feeling of being uncomfortable’ that is how we improve performance, increase creativity, and expand our learning capacity.
Staying in your comfort zone is cosy for sure, however, repeating patterns, cycles and habits dull your brain, well … your conscious brain. Lucky, we have our autopilot brain that takes care of most things for us … but at what cost?
Your unconscious mind works without your knowledge…
When you try new things out, it opens you up to possibilities that you have never imagined … and you have an opportunity to conquer those fears because you are in fact creating new neural pathways that are fuelling your brain and expanding your mind to think outside of the box.
And … for those individuals who think their memory is deteriorating, this is in fact, one of the best tricks to increase your memory! … By trying new things and exploring the unknown you trigger different parts of your brain that release dopamine – the happy hugging hormone that is associated with learning and memory that helps put a little skip into your stride!
Therefore, it is of great importance for you to suck it up and put yourself out there, to try new things although it may feel uncomfortable.
Do you want to live your life safe, or do you want to take risks and live on the wild side by trying something that you have never done before?
Where the magic happens…
First, you must identify, what is getting in your way for you to get out of your comfort zone?
Is it fear that is getting in your way?
Are you allowing that imposter syndrome to make decisions on your behalf?
Are you letting self-doubt and those second-guessing thoughts impacting your critical thinking?
Or … are you listening to that internal dialogue “who do you think you are?” etc… that inner voice that is paralysing you from taking action, when in fact the biggest risk is not taking a risk at all!
If we take a look at our brain, the lizard part of our brain – it has one purpose, to keep us safe … and that’s why we are cosy, snug as a bug in our comfort zone. We feel secure, safe, and protected because it is a familiar zone.
Daniel Pink says “we need a place of productive discomfort if you’re too comfortable you’re not productive. And if you’re too uncomfortable you’re not productive. Like Goldilocks, we can’t be too hot or too cold.”
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone…
We are conditioned to stay in our safe zone.
But how are we meant to grow, expand, and succeed if we continue to do what we have always done?
If you continue to do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten.
Learning to be a little uncomfortable and be okay with ‘not knowing’ is actually very powerful, because from this vantage point, anything is possible!
There are so many benefits to becoming comfortable with being a little uncomfortable.
We must exalt ourselves forward, normalise the uncomfortable zone so to be able to find our place of productive discomfort.
You must be in it, to feel it and step through it as this is where your greatest potential lies.
I promise you that you will be extremely surprised, astonished, and dazzled that you will accomplish more than you ever thought was achievable.
