Make Yourself Uncomfortable

http://hellosorld.com/personal/2009/10/29/make-yourself-uncomfortable.html

by stanleydrew • 17 years ago

32 27 17 years ago

hellosorld.com

stakent2• 17 years ago

Step out of your comfort zone.

This is fundamental to start change.

If the change is positive this is another story.

stanleydrew4• 17 years ago

Agree. My argument is only that you won't know whether the changes you make are positive or negative until after you try them, so change lots of stuff and see.

notauser• 17 years ago

If you change two things at once, you won't know which change led to the response.

(I say this as an idiot who released _three_ big changes today, and is trying to work out which feature the feedback relates to.)

brandnewlow5• 17 years ago

I have one rule that has served me well.

"When in doubt, go out."

If I ever find myself asking whether I should go to an event/party/meeting and the alternative involves staying home, I go out. It's always the right choice.

stanleydrew4• 17 years ago

This might be related to FOMO (fear of missing out).

zandor• 17 years ago

"When in doubt, go out."

Words to live by!

gnaritas2• 17 years ago

Except it's not always the right choice. How many times do you have to go out and regret it before learning to say no?

unalone• 17 years ago

Last year I was in a place where I hated going out. I wanted to go out but hated the available options. This year, I found something interesting: While I go out much more than I did last year, and always find something or other to occupy my time, I didn't instantly become a partier. Today I left the social gathering I went to early, and avoided a wilder party and a late-night movie. Partly it's just that I really don't like being around people for long periods of time. I'm not comfortable with most people I meet, and while I can handle mixed company, it's always with a bit too much cynicism and negativity and I don't like being the person who's known for knocking other people down.

There's a difference between being scared/incapable of going out and choosing deliberately not to. Some people, myself included, prefer our own company to those of others.

aduric• 17 years ago

Also, always challenge yourself.

imraj3• 17 years ago

When I left my day job, I expected to be in a uncomfortable zone and I am luckily still in an uncomfortable zone :)

Only thing I would like to add is that uncomfortable zone is not for everyone, I think you need to be a certain personality type to actually enjoy the uncomfortable zone.

stanleydrew4• 17 years ago

This is perhaps true. But how would you ever know? Maybe there are people coasting along thinking "I'm not the type of person who enjoys being uncomfortable and I don't need to be" when in reality they're just boring or not changing much.

jodrellblank• 17 years ago

What's so inherently wrong with being boring or not changing much?

imraj3• 17 years ago

More than boring and not changing, my comment was more towards the people and their aversion to risk and the level of self - belief in them. There are days in enterpreneurs lives that are just as boring and not changing as any corporate jobs out there.

But the idea that they are working towards something bigger and the fact that they are doing it for themselves is what brings excitement to the table.

MindTwister• 17 years ago

When I started my company I asked my boss from my internship what hints he had for me, he said; "You need to have way too many expenses, it keeps you on your edge." Ofcourse he didnt mean that as, buy $100 lunches, buy overpriced crap. But buy the equipment, rent an office, buy what you need to buy, if you are afraid where you'll get the money for the next months rent you'll work that much harder to earn it.

jrockway• 17 years ago

If I cut off my right hand, will I enjoy my left hand more, or will I just be a cripple?

(This sounds the same.)

dualogy• 17 years ago

Well, the boss suggested to invest much of what you have early on, but on things with (perceived) returns. Sure, if you can get from 0 to product with nothing more than the laptop you already have, and if your money buys the unknown amount of time you'll need, this sounds like crippling.

felixc• 17 years ago

That's probably taking it a bit too far; but if you fund yourself by borrowing from someone who will cut off your right hand if you fail to pay him back, you just may work harder to make that money.

This is an old idea. From the Art of War: "At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand. ... He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots."

anonjon• 17 years ago

I'm writing a blog post. I'm going to entitle it "Set Yourself On Fire". It's gonna be all about how warm it is when you set yourself on fire.

Seriously though, isn't there a difference between taking a risk and taking a risk that might pay off? If you're going to make yourself uncomfortable don't do it on blind faith, have a reason for it.

codedivine• 17 years ago

Well PG said that there are 2 types of pain. Similarly there are 2 types of uncomfortable. One needs to recognize the difference.

Make Yourself Uncomfortable

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