Get Comfortable with Discomfort
No significant growth happens inside of your comfort zone.
Building muscle, learning a new language, learning a cutting-edge skill in your field. All require you to endure discomfort, stress, and even pain to reach the goal.
Think of two artists. One seeks out a single activity every day that pushes her out of her comfort zone. The other avoids all discomfort and tries to replicate past successes.
After one year, which artist do you think has experienced more creative growth?
Yet why do we, as creators, cling so fiercely to what’s familiar? The same chord patterns. The same color choices. The same words. And this sameness keeps us from creative breakthroughs.
But it’s worse than that. Aversion to even the slightest discomfort can stop us from creating at all. It can give us an excuse to give up on the creator’s daily struggle.
We don’t sit down to write, because our favorite pen is missing. The studio is cold today—I’ll paint tomorrow. I’m bored—where is my adult pacifier?
To fight this, we need to train ourselves to get comfortable with discomfort.
We have to practice stretching ourselves.
Here are three ways to expand your tolerance for discomfort, every day.
Once a day, leave your phone at home while on an errand. Today, we hardly go anywhere without our phones. Leaving it behind can feel strangely vulnerable (this is a signal). Challenge yourself to sit with this discomfort by leaving your phone at home when you go for a coffee or a walk. Use the time to observe your surroundings—sights, smells, sounds, people. Who knows? You might get an idea for your next project.
Take hot and cold undulating showers. As a creator, you are no stranger to the ebb and flow of the creative process. Mimic this rhythm with your showers. Alternate between hot and cold water. Start with coldish water, for about a minute, before returning to hot. Challenge yourself to remain calm during the cold spells. Instead of hopping around frantically, breathe deeply and smile. Prove to yourself every day that you are not powerless to external forces.
Every day, talk to a stranger or someone you don’t know well. Strike up a conversation with a fellow creator at an exhibition, a community member at a local event, or a patron at your favorite café. Reach out to someone in your field to tell them how much you admire their work. Not only will you get in the habit of stretching yourself, you may even find a new collaborator.
Cast small votes every day toward becoming a person who stretches themselves.
But don’t overdo it. This is not an exercise in self-flagellation or punishment.
Instead, like building your muscles, train yourself to endure in creative endeavors.
Do something every day that helps you build the habit of being comfortable with discomfort. Start today.