One step beyond your comfort zone. That is where growth happens.
After reading David Goggin’s book Can’t Hurt me I have thought a lot about this. He has done some crazy to me things in his life- and continues to- and though I am not about to go out and do the things he has done, his words and stories allow me to see something important about myself.
I have more in me than I know. He also does not advocate that we go out and do the many times unhealthy things he has done, but he does advocate for going just a bit further than feels comfortable.
You know when you are out for a walk or run and your body says, okay that’s it? That is the time that you say, this is NOT it- and keep going, even 10% more. We know when we are really hurt, and that is of course a reason to always stop right there. He did many, many physical challenges while hurt. I am not advocating for that either. There is no point to hurting yourself.
But there is a BIG point to stretching yourself. Mentally, physically, spiritually.
Listen to yourself this week- every time you hear the voice in your head say “I can’t do this a second longer, I am going to stop”- challenge it and keep going. It is your restless ming that wants to stop. It is the discomfort that we want to back off from- they are real, but not truly telling you who you are.
So challenge that voice this week. Challenge it when you think you’re not good enough, or too much or incapable- and just go beyond what your head is telling you.
Again, you know when something you are doing will hurt you if you go any longer, or you are already hurt. Be sensible in those situations.
You know what I am saying to you. Run 10 seconds longer. Read 5 more pages. Clean out that clutter. Say no to the dessert one night. And the myriad of other things that your head tells you. When you go beyond discomfort you grow and now have a new threshold to build a new belief on. Learn that new thing. Get up that much earlier. Turn off your phone when it is distracting you. Kick discomfort in the butt and embrace it. Discomfort means something is happening for you.
And then you do it again tomorrow. And over time you find yourself at a whole new level.
Go one step beyond.