Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

At the top of Sundial Peak, Utah

I have not always been comfortable walking on ledges. Over time, and with a lot of repetition, I learned to trust what my body could do in exposed places. The discomfort did not disappear. I just got better at being in it.

This came up in three different conversations with leaders last week. Each of them named it differently but they were all describing the same thing. A situation that made them uncomfortable, and the awareness that moving through it was probably exactly where they needed to go.

What struck me is that none of them were trying to get rid of the discomfort. They were trying to figure out how to move forward anyway.

I think that is actually the skill. It isn’t about becoming comfortable. It’s about getting better at recognizing what the discomfort is telling you. And then going after it.

It comes up a lot in the leaders I work with, and it is one of the things coaching creates space for.

What is yours pointing to right now?