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If you want success and a flat out better life, you have to learn to value discomfort and disorientation, because that’s where our greatest growth takes place. It’s in the discomfort zone where we grow and learn. And here’s the honest truth: Discomfort doesn’t lead to breakdowns. It leads to breakthroughs. By avoiding discomfort, we can survive, but stepping into discomfort, that is how we thrive. Here are 5 mindset shifts to help you thrive:
1. Challenge your assumptions.
Just because that’s how we’ve always done it doesn’t mean that we should keep doing it the same way. This can lead to the bias of experience, which means that the way we’ve done it is still the right way to do it.
Try going below the surface and discovering the belief that is driving that behavior. What is the belief behind the habit or process we were taught? Even if the belief is right, does it have a different application today? If it’s valid, our commitment will go even deeper. If it’s not, we might need to do some innovating.
2. Question the status quo.
By doing this, you will be facilitating the skill of critical unlearning. What do we need to stop doing? What do we need to leave behind? What do we need to forget? What do we need to ignore? This is important if we want to grow and go forward.
3. Repurpose something old.
Sometimes the pearl gets lost in the process. The principle is good, but the delivery system is outdated. Don’t miss the reliable because it’s cluttered and camouflaged with irrelevance. This is more than recycling. It’s also about ideas, attitudes, emotional intelligence, money, simplicity and wisdom.
4. Try something new.
This often leads to something better. Occasionally it comes through association with others. What seemed like an impediment to progress became a breakthrough in efficiency. Sometimes it’s as simple as trying an unfamiliar food. Experiment, test, expose. People tend to see danger where there is only difference.
5. Connect with the bigger picture.
Synthesizing your life illuminates your path. Learning and growing is about capacity and skill. But it’s also about connecting the dots. That is hard to do without knowing the bigger purpose of who we are and what we want. This takes learning to a whole new level. You are no longer just a teacher. You are a master teacher.
Developing ourselves includes developing our minds. This does not happen without discomfort and occasional disorientation.
What breakthroughs have you made when you ventured outside of your comfort zone?