One of the greatest obstacles to personal growth and even to success is the desire for comfort. It is a natural human tendency to desire situations that are easy, comfortable, and convenient. It is true that comfort has its place, but what you should understand is that significant growth rarely happens in the place of comfort. This is why it has been said that temporary discomfort is the price you have to pay for a lasting growth. It may be in your academics, your career, your business, your personal improvement, and even in relationships, it may require you to endure some challenges before you can see the gain in life.
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I remember a childhood friend of mine who had always dreamt of becoming a pilot. While growing up, he was fantasizing about planes, and kept saying that one day, he will become a pilot. When he finished from the secondary school, he had a choice of going to a university that his parents got admission for him, because he was from a rich family. However, he did not want that because he had already made up his mind that he wanted to go to aviation school. To even pass the entrance exam was very tough. He had to study extensively for it, and then he finally got in.
When he was admitted into the aviation school, it was a world of his own. Actually, the one he got was affiliated to the airforce, so the training and instruction processes were so demanding. There were times that the training was very difficult. He had to sleep very late and then wake up very early. The processes were very uncomfortable, demanding, and even looked discouraging, but he kept on going. Despite the challenges, he kept his eyes focused on his goal. Finally, he graduated, not just that, he was among the tops of his set. He earned his pilot's license and it was a dream come true for him. The temporary discomfort he faced gave him the lasting success he needed.
Temporary discomfort may come in form of short-term difficulties, challenges, sacrifices, and struggles that you experience in the course of pursuing after your goals. This can include studying while others are relaxing, saving while others are spending on their wants, exercising even when you feel tired, learning a very difficult skill, or persevering even when the road seems difficult. These experiences may not feel pleasant at the start, but over time, they will produce long-term benefits. Life may not promise you a smooth ride, or everything delivered to you on a golden platter. This is why you have to build yourself to face what life throws at you.
Temporary discomfort also helps you to build resilience. The truth is that in the journey of life, you will meet challenges, but you cannot avoid the challenges, rather you will have to face them. When you learn to endure the challenges of life, you will develop yourself to become mentally stronger. Each obstacle your pass will prepare you and give you the confidence to overcome future challenges. Resilience is not developed during easy times, rather it is developed when you face challenges and decide to keep going. This is just the same way you do not build muscles by sitting down, but working out and engaging in bodybuilding exercises.
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Temporary discomfort also builds discipline. A lot of the major achievements you want to achieve will require you to put constant efforts over time. This will obviously require a level of discipline. You have to understand that discipline is never an easy thing, but it is worth it. For example, waking up in the middle of the night to read, practising a skill repeatedly, remaining committed to your goal, etc. All these are sacrifices, and are never easy. These actions are part of what build you up for long-term success. The discipline to keep going even when the journey looks rough and tough is what is needed to achieve a lasting success.
You also learn patience when you move out of your comfort zone. In the world where everyone wants instant gratification, having patience is a virtue that will help you to survive in life. A lot of things in life will need you to pass through some waiting period. You will understand that you cannot plant a seed in your farm on the same day and harvest it immediately. You will have to wait for it to pass through the stages of germination, growth, and fruiting. In the same same way in life, you have to learn patience and then follow the due process in order to achieve your goals.
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