As an entrepreneur, every day is different and hard to predict. All my days are incredible—some incredibly awesome, some incredibly frustrating. Sometimes I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, sometimes I carry a lot of weight on my shoulders. Dealing with all this uncertainty and responsibility can be very uncomfortable.
So how does one deal with the discomfort?
The simple answer is: expect it. Expect to be uncomfortable, and accept it. I do this by planning and running through scenarios so I’m prepared for the worst that can happen. Our imaginations make this easy—we naturally come up with outcomes in our heads that are worse than what actually happens. I have recognized that pattern and turned it into something useful.
I could go all day worrying about what may happen and let it cripple me, or I can embrace being uncomfortable, knowing that whatever comes around the corner I am going to deal with it the best I can, because I am prepared. Be it sorting out an unexpected issue with a project or attempting to learn stand-up paddle boarding without knowing how to swim.
Being an entrepreneur is what I have chosen. The discomfort is part of it, but for me, the reward and satisfaction of effecting and changing lives at J2 makes it all worthwhile.
What are you uncomfortable doing?
“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” —Brian Tracy
Do something outside your norm this weekend.
—Vijay
About Friday Food for Thought (FFfT)
I frequently attend conferences and retreats on entrepreneurship and leadership and while I am away, the J2 team picks up the slack, allowing me to learn to be better at what I do. I wanted to share what I was learning with my team, so I created the weekly FFfT emails in November of 2015 and have been writing them ever since.
Before long, the J2 staff began sharing the FFfT emails with their friends and family and now other leaders have asked to be included, which led to the creation of this newsletter. I hope you enjoy!