No one likes being uncomfortable. Comfort is easy, familiar, and certain. But discomfort is a fact of life and discomfort is where growth is found. Companies, leaders, and teams stagnate when they become stuck in a state of comfort, avoiding the discomfort of trying new things. When discomfort causes us to avoid difficult conversations, we risk further harm and misunderstanding. Adam Grant often says, “If you’re comfortable, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
So what can we do?
The first step is to realize that uncertain does not equal unsafe. When we seek growth and opportunity and step into the discomfort of uncharted territory, the accompanying uncertainty feels scary. But feeling afraid of the unknown, doesn’t mean we are not safe.
The second is to understand the concept of productive discomfort — the state of being uncomfortable but still able to learn without being paralyzed by fear. In Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity, our CEO, Danessa Knaupp, wrote, “If you focus on productive discomfort, a hard task will remain hard even while you’re improving. You start small and build. You may always be a little bit uncomfortable. It may always feel difficult and challenging. But you’re making progress, and if you look back, you’ll see how far you’ve come.” In this case, the discomfort is part of the point. The more experience we gain being comfortable with discomfort, the more natural it will feel, and the positive feelings of accomplishment will further the impact.
Earlier this month we talked about the importance of naming our emotions. That’s an important part of becoming comfortable with discomfort. When we’re clear on what we’re feeling, we can take steps to address the discomfort. And when we address it, we can continue to move forward.
Our coaches recommend a few tools to help:
- The How We Feel App – a great app for identifying and checking in on your emotions
- The RULER Approach to emotional intelligence
- Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
What area of discomfort can you move toward this week? How can you practice being comfortable with discomfort?
As always, the team of executive coaches at Avenue 8 Advisors is ready to help you move toward growth and through discomfort. Contact us to set up a call.