Dr. Don Wood - CEO at Inspired Performance Institute
Want to blast past plateaus in your career (or life in general)? Here's a counterintuitive lesson you won't find in most self-help books.
Think back to learning a new skill – maybe an instrument, a sport, or a tough software program. Early on, progress felt exciting, right? But soon, you hit that leveling-off point. Frustrating.
This is where most people get stuck. They keep grinding within their comfort zone, unwilling to risk looking bad. But here's the thing: True growth demands a different kind of challenge.
Imagine a young tennis player, eager to get better. His coach doesn't give him easy drills or weaker opponents. Nope. He tells the kid to start playing against much older, more experienced competitors.
The kid's gonna lose. A lot. But that's the point. To reach the next level, he has to force himself to adapt. Facing a faster, more complex game will elevate his own abilities.
This principle applies everywhere:
• Want to be a better writer? Stop pitching safe topics and tackle tougher subjects.
• Want to excel in your field? Seek out projects or mentors that stretch you past your current limits.
• Want to build a resilient business? Take risks that force you to innovate.
It won't be comfortable. You'll likely fail initially. But that discomfort is where the magic happens.
So, ditch the ego, embrace the losses, and seek out the games where you're outmatched. That's the path to accelerated growth.
#comfortzone #growth
