When "Embracing Discomfort" Can Become Another Compulsion

Is "embracing discomfort" the key to making progress in life, personally or professionally?

Not universally, no. We want to be mindful of not creating new compulsions—including a compulsion to ‘embrace discomfort’—lest we become trapped by them (e.g., mistaking discomfort for progress, instinctively/reactively rejecting ease or comfort—even in our relationships). This can end up reinforcing the same craving-avoidance loops we were perhaps hoping to escape in our pursuit of progress—i.e., if our pursuit is reactive and based on the assumption that ‘enough’ progress will (finally) eliminate all personal discomfort.

Remaining with discomfort allows us to cultivate awareness and choice. We become aware of how our attention, thoughts, feelings, and actions are automatically (pre-reflectively) preoccupied—most powerfully by discomfort or craving—and this awareness gives us more space to engage with these patterns more skilfully, allowing us greater choice. (What we choose to do with this awareness is ultimately up to us.)

FURTHER READING:

• Managing Emotions in Leadership

• When Success is Unfulfilling