Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

We all have different levels of comfort. With those comfort zones come lines that are imaginary boundaries many don't want to cross. They can take you to a scary place where you feel uncomfortable.

I'm not sure where the expression 'get comfortable being uncomfortable' originated from; maybe it's Jillian Michaels, Tony Robbins or the US Navy SEALs.

But if you want to grow, learn something new, to push past what expectations are, you will need to develop a mindset of bypassing the easy road. Also, any good pirate will tell you it's somewhat fun to break a few of those invisible lines and do the unexpected. Rebel even.

You need to get nervous. To get rejected.

Understand that it's ok to avoid fitting in with the crowd and doing what others expect of you.

David Goggins, ultramarathon runner, author, and NAVY Seal has a great talk on the idea of "what if" and why embracing being uncomfortable is crucial to any form of success:

It's been a very long week, with little sleep and high stress. I often write about things here on Makoism as my own self-therapy to right-size my thinking and get me back on course. I recognized that I was falling back into some old, stress-filled habits. And this little post was part motivation to snap me out of my comfort zone.

Lastly, before I wrap it up this week, it's essential to call out that there's a difference between being uncomfortable and being scared. I'm not saying you should never be scared of something - I've been in plenty of situations where I'm fucking scared shitless, especially if something dangerous is going down.

But:

• Being scared is defined as 'in a state of fear, fright, or panic.'
• Being uncomfortable is defined as 'slightly worried or embarrassed, and not relaxed and confident.'

One tactic to getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is training yourself to recognize triggers. Ask yourself, "what if I embrace this?" and challenge, "what if that assumption I have about this isn't true?".

Notice what things push you into that zone, understand why they make you feel that way, and let go of them a bit. Safely step into the unknown. Flip off the status quo or 'business as usual.' Act bravely, face those fears, and lean in.

If you enjoy these posts, you can buy me a coffee ☕️, check out my store or just share my work. If you'd rather just keep up with my daily ramblings, follow me via your favorite RSS reader, via Mastodon or keep reading my posts on this blog. Your support is much appreciated!

Slow Tech

I was excited to receive the latest edition (issue 3) of my favorite guilty pleasure, The Southwester.

I've written about the publication before, but what makes it unique is that none of the content is available online. It's an entirely offline experience whose sole purpose is to 'bring people and stories together, but in a newspaper. for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home'.

A newspaper for the imagination.

I hope you support them and enjoy reading it as much as I do.

Brain Dump

Here are a few articles and videos that resonated with me over the last week:

• I enjoyed Daring Fireball's podcast, The Talk Show which covered Kottke.org's 25th anniversary. Kottke, known for 'fine hypertext products,' is one of the longest blogs in my reading rotation, and this retrospective on how he 'fell in love with the web' is a fun look back at the journey. — [via Kottke.org Is 25 Years Old Today and I’m Going to Write About It]
• 'Infrastructure has always influenced culture' touches on the dangers of algorithms perpetuating non-facts, resulting in widespread bias. A good one to sit back, read, and re-read. — [via Trapped in an echo chamber?]
• One to sit back and digest (especially as a person who writes online frequently) why 'we were all fooled by the idea of turning our online presence into a brand' and why 'brandifying my online life is a mistake.' Lots of good tips here on building a more authentic self online. — [via Minutes to Midnight]
• I geek out over 'mental models,' so when I came across Occam's razor, I was intrigued. Basically, 'it is futile to do with more what can be done with fewer' — i.e., the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. Unbeknownst to me, this is something that I've been striving for for for a while now - making things simple. — [via How to Use Occam’s Razor Without Getting Cut]
• More than you ever wanted to know about the name ‌. — [via Ernie Name Meaning: Why Does Baidu Want it for its Chatbot?]
• GapingVoid is quickly becoming one of my favorite weekly reads. This post about company cultures is an ongoing 'battle of what you want to represent, and who you want to be; most importantly which wolf you want to feed.' — [via Feed the Wolf?]
• An important one for anyone in a leadership position is that there are 'major disconnects between senior leadership and staff exist about whether innovation is supported within their organizations.' — [via 3 Leadership Disconnects Around Supporting a Culture of Innovation]
• Super fun 'happiness challenge' - the 8-minute phone call. The idea is simple: 'think of a person you love, someone you miss, someone you wish you connected with more often. Send that person a quick text asking if they can chat on the phone for eight minutes. After the eight minutes are up, decide when your next catch-up will be; honor your time commitment and sign off promptly.' I love this. — [via The Secret Power of the 8-Minute Phone Call]
• I admit I've had a much better online headspace since moving from Twitter to Mastodon. — [via God Did the World a Favor by Destroying Twitter]
• If you have to give talks or present in front of others, I found these three rules from actor Alan Alda were great. 1) Make no more than three points, 2) Explain difficult ideas in three different ways and 3) Make important points three times. — [via 3 rules to express your thoughts so that everyone will understand you]
• The idea is simple: take care of your creative brain. — [via Creating Time]

This Weeks Vibe

With this week's grind, it seems best to repeat some classic Steely Dan. The song "Dirty Work" is a fun one, as it pops up all in odd places - from "The Sopranos" to "American Hustle" to "Suicide Squad" to, of course, The Simpsons.

Light the candle
Put the lock upon the door
You have sent the maid home early
Like a thousand times before
Like the castle in its corner
In a medieval game
I foresee terrible trouble
And I stay here just the same
I'm a fool to do your dirty work. Oh yeah.
I don't wanna do your dirty work. No more

Be well. ✌🏻