Embrace the Uncomfortable: Growth Isn’t Supposed to Be Easy

Join Malinda Watt in this engaging episode of "Get Over Your Shit" as she explores the often uncomfortable journey of personal and professional growth. Malinda busts the myth that growth is meant to be an easy path and implants the crucial notion that discomfort is an integral part of meaningful progress. She invites listeners to lean into their discomfort, which signifies the cusp of breakthroughs in their journey toward leveling up as entrepreneurs and course creators.

Key Takeaways:

• Growth Requires Discomfort: Understand that discomfort marks the start of breakthroughs and meaningful transformations.
• Reframe Challenges: See difficulties as learning opportunities rather than roadblocks, fostering a growth mindset.
• Build Resilience Step-by-Step: Start with small steps outside your comfort zone to gradually build resilience.
• Daily Reflection: Incorporate a routine of reflecting on discomfort to recognize it as a stepping stone toward growth.
• Actionable Challenge: Identify and tackle one uncomfortable task this week to experience personal growth firsthand.

"Discomfort is a non-negotiable part of growth. Embrace it, welcome it, even seek it out."

Additional Links & Resources:

• Stop letting content keep you stuck—jumpstart your website planning with clarity and confidence! Get your content organized in just a few hours: https://malindawatt.com/planner
• Try Siteground, my favorite website hosting company: Siteground.com
• Learn more about me and my work at malindawatt.com

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Get Over Your Sh!t! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. Share this with someone who needs a push to start taking action—because we’re all about moving forward together!

Hosted by Malinda Watt
Edited by Chris @ Wider View Studios
Music License purchased from stockmusic.com

Transcript

0:00:00 - (Malinda Watt): Hello and welcome to get over your Shit, the podcast dedicated to helping digital course creators, entrepreneurs and small business owners stop overthinking and start executing. I'm Melinda Watt, your host and fellow overthinker, here to guide you through the maze of self-doubt and procrastination that keeps us from reaching our full potential. Today, we're diving into one of the hardest truths about growth, and it's this.

0:00:27 - (Malinda Watt): Growth isn't supposed to be easy. Growth requires discomfort if you're expecting it to feel comfortable. And trust me, I was waiting a long time for this feeling. It never came. If you're waiting for it to feel comfortable, you're setting yourself up to be disappointed and worse, stagnant. Today, I want to talk about why embracing the uncomfortable is a necessary part of achieving anything worthwhile.

0:00:55 - (Malinda Watt): If you're serious about leveling up, about becoming the person you want to be, then this episode is for you. So let's jump in and talk about why you need to get comfortable with discomfort and how to make it your ally. Let's start by getting honest about something. We're wired to gravitate towards comfort. It's natural. Our brains are designed to avoid pain and seek pleasure. But in today's world, that can actually be our biggest obstacle to growth.

0:01:27 - (Malinda Watt): Why? Because we tend to think that if something feels uncomfortable or challenging, it's a sign we shouldn't do it. But that's not true. In fact, it's often the opposite. If you're feeling resistance or discomfort around something that could lead to growth, that's a sign you're about to break through a barrier. So the next time you catch yourself pulling back because something feels uncomfortable, ask yourself, is this discomfort because I'm stretching my boundaries?

0:01:55 - (Malinda Watt): If the answer is yes, lean into it. Discomfort is actually an essential part of the growth process. I want you to think about a time when you pushed yourself. Maybe you tried something new, spoke up in a way you hadn't before, or committed to a project that felt a bit overwhelming. Those moments probably felt uncomfortable. But if you look back, I bet they also led to some of your biggest transformations.

0:02:22 - (Malinda Watt): Think of it like this. Growth is like building muscle. When you exercise, you create tiny tears in your muscles, which then heal and come back stronger. The same goes for your personal and professional growth. Each challenge, each moment of discomfort is a tear that will heal stronger as long as you keep showing up and doing the work. So how do we get comfortable with discomfort? It sounds almost counterintuitive, right?

0:02:53 - (Malinda Watt): But the truth is, the more you step into uncomfortable Situations, the easier it becomes. You start to build a resilience to it. And here's the kicker. Every time you face a challenge head-on, you're training yourself to trust your own strength. One of the best ways to do this is by starting with small steps. Start by doing things that push you just slightly outside your comfort zone. It doesn't have to be massive at first.

0:03:20 - (Malinda Watt): Maybe it's saying no to something that doesn't align with your values. Maybe it's speaking up in a meeting or posting your work publicly. Whatever it is, make it a habit. The more you practice, the stronger that muscle becomes and the easier it will be to tackle bigger challenges down the line. Now let's get into some practical ways to start embracing discomfort every day. Think of these as daily exercises that will help you build your resilience and step into your potential.

0:03:50 - (Malinda Watt): First, try something new each week. This could be something simple like taking a new route to work, trying a new workout, or learning a new skill. By doing this, you're training your brain to accept new challenges as normal rather than threatening. Second, adopt a growth mindset approach. When you hit a roadblock, don't view it as failure. Instead, see it as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself, what can I learn from this?

0:04:19 - (Malinda Watt): A growth mindset is what keeps us moving forward even when the path gets bumpy. Finally, get in the habit of reflection. At the end of each day, ask yourself, what was one uncomfortable thing I did today and what did I learn from it? This simple reflection practice will reinforce that discomfort is a stepping stone to growth. All right, here's the takeaway from today's episode. If you want to grow, you want to become the person you're meant to be, then discomfort is non negotiable.

0:04:53 - (Malinda Watt): Embrace it, welcome it, even seek it out. Because on the other side of that discomfort is the breakthrough you've been waiting for. So here's my challenge for you this week. Choose one uncomfortable thing you're going to do. It could be a conversation you've been avoiding, a task you've been putting off, or a goal you've been afraid to pursue. For me, I'm going to reach out to someone I very much admire and invite them to be a guest on this podcast.

0:05:21 - (Malinda Watt): I don't know why, but I'm feeling rather intimidated about putting that invitation out there. So that's what I'm going to do this week. So we're going to do this and then notice what happens. Notice how you feel, notice what you learn, and notice how much stronger you become just by facing it. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of get over your Shit. If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe.

0:05:46 - (Malinda Watt): Share this episode with a fellow overthinker and leave a review. Your feedback helps the podcast grow and reach more people who need to hear this message. Until next time, remember, progress over perfection. You've got this.