Embracing the uncomfortable requires some action. The experience gained from the action taken will help create a new perspective. Procrastination wastes time and creates fear, worry and doubt. Action creates confidence, self esteem and experience. When you do something that you were once hesitant to do, it feels great. The fear, doubt and worry quickly dissipates and you wonder why you waited so long to take action.
I read this book by an ex-navy seal who talked about what it took to become a seal. The training took place in California at the Pacific Ocean, where every morning they had to run into the surf (which was around 60 degrees) with all their clothes and boots on and dive in. Then they got back on shore and had to “sugar cookie” which is where you cover your wet body 100% in sand. This was just the preparation to then run four miles, or run the obstacle courses. You are never truly ready for your day if you’re not cold, wet and sandy.
Can you imagine going through your whole day cold, wet and sandy? Walk into the gym, school, work, the grocery store, dripping sand and water. Your face and hair covered in sand. Can you picture all the people staring at you?
What does this process of going through your day cold, wet and sandy accomplish? Everything you already do on a regular basis is normal and comfortable. If you can easily do what you are doing now, can you do it cold, wet and sandy? What was once very easy becomes very difficult because the conditions changed. But what if with repetition you became used to these conditions. Your skin gets tougher from the constant abrasion of the salt and sand. Your mind gets stronger because you increased the difficulty to mundane tasks and overcome the desire to quit and take a hot shower. Your mind, body and emotions adapted to the harsh conditions and now you are a champion.
What is something you can do to get cold, wet and sandy? You don’t have to go to work cold, wet and sandy, though if you do, I want to know all about it. What can you do to challenge yourself, to shock your mental state? What challenge could you do today that would be fun, exciting, scary and uncomfortable all at the same time? You could take a cold shower for 3 minutes. You could do 100 push ups without breaking form. You could run or bike or walk for a certain distance.
Overcoming a challenge is a victory. Victory sheds light on what we are capable of. If we overcome a challenge in one part of our life, we create awareness and experience (proof) that we can have a victory in another part of life. Pretty soon we are chasing after what we used to run away from, and now are absolutely dominating.
Go get cold, wet and sandy!