Comfort, the nemesis of success.

Comfort is something we all seek and enjoy but it’s also our achilles heel and the single most detrimental, undermining force in our lives.

Comfort is…well, comfortable. Curling up on the couch with your favourite snack while you watch your favourite TV show is comfortable. Going to the same stable job every day for years on end might not be enjoyable, but it’s at least comfortable. Knowing you have car insurance, house insurance and health insurance provides comfort and peace of mind.

We are programmed to seek comfort. It’s a survival instinct to make sure we have food, water, shelter, family, friends and that we are protected from all of the threats the world can throw at us. However, we live in a very different world today than we did when we developed those survival instincts. Starving to death, freezing to death or being attacked and killed by wild animals aren’t realistic threats to us in this day and age. Nowadays, the things we strived for for thousands of years are easy to obtain and the real threats to us have changed. Today, I believe the biggest threat to us exactly what kept us alive in past. Comfort.

Having the comfort of necessities requires only a fraction of the effort it used to. Most people are happy to do the minimum required to acquire the necessities and then enjoy being comfortable.

The question is, what’s being comfortable costing you? The answer, your dreams, your happiness and everything you want in life.

Comfort wants us to exert as little energy and resources as possible and avoid risks whenever possible. It’s a preprogrammed, self preservation instinct with an undesirable consequence of reducing our motivation and preventing us from taking advantage of opportunities.

Becoming the person you want to be is simple, but due to our desire for comfort, becoming the person you want to be isn’t easy.

Do you want six pack abs? Simple, do 500 sit-ups a day.

Do you want to further your career? Simple, put in extra effort and take courses that will help you stand out and advance your career.

Do you want be a better parent? Simple, spend more quality time with your kids.

Do you want to run a marathon? Simple, start with short runs and increase the distance until you can cover 26 miles.

We all know what it takes to achieve the goals we want. It’s simple. The reason we don’t succeed in achieving those goals is because comfort stops us. 500 sit-ups, educational courses, running and all the other things we need to be discipline at are hard and uncomfortable, but that’s what we need to do to succeed.

We need to do the things we don’t want to do in order to become who we want to be. Success lives on the other side of fear and comfort. When you routinely step outside your comfort zone, your comfort zone expands.

The first time I tried running a long distance I ran about 3 miles. It was very uncomfortable and wasn’t easy. By continuing to force myself to be uncomfortable (training) I can now run 15 miles more comfortably than running those first 3 miles.

My first investment property was scary. I bought it in a city I had never been to before and knew very little about managing the property or dealing with contractors or any of the other things people are fearful of when they are looking to buy their first investment. I wasn’t comfortable buying the property, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and then bought 4 more properties.

There is a great book written by Ryan Holiday called “The Obstacle is the Way”. It explains that the success you seek comes directly from what’s holding you back. If fear is stopping you, over coming that fear will allow you achieve your goal.

Being fearful isn’t comfortable. Working out isn’t comfortable. Studying for tests isn’t comfortable. Being discipline isn’t comfortable. Doing the right thing, the thing that will make you better or a more successful person isn’t usually comfortable or easy. Understand and embrace that fact. Get used to being uncomfortable. It’s how you expand and grow physically and mentally. The harder something is, likely the bigger the reward.

Some things in life might not be worth the discomfort for you. That’s fine, as long as you understand what you are giving up in order to stay in your comfort zone.

Just be aware comfort is a four letter word. It’s dragging you back to the warm couch, Netflix, laziness, and “comfort foods”. Comfort kills motivation, inspiration, discipline and everything you wanted to achieve in life. It’s ok to spend some time being comfortable, but living in comfort will ensure mediocrity.

If you want to achieve your goals and have a fulfilled life, get comfortable being uncomfortable.