Intentionally Embracing Discomfort

I’m a big fan of purposeful action. Doing something “for fun” is a little bit of a foreign concept to me—I think there should be a reason for doing most every thing. I like work and efficiency and strategy, and I struggle with many other things. This is why I’m thankful for other people in the world who think and live life very differently than I do.

Bob Goff is a wonderful human being who does things in a way that often make me scratch my head. He loves people so deeply and tangibly and he frequently does things that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. He is joyous and has a childlike faith that amazes me. His actions encourage me to be a better human being and for that I am grateful.

The Beauty of Strategic Whimsy

Through his books, Bob was the one who introduced me to the concept of “strategic whimsy”. When I first read those words, they seeped into my mind and I simply couldn’t get rid of them. When I shared Bob’s books with a friend of mine, she also fixated on that phrase.

We are both recovering perfectionists who have to work to infuse fun in our days. We are two peas in a pod full of work and expediency, we are severely lacking in the whimsy department. So we decided to do something about it: we started a podcast called The Strategic Whimsy Experiment where we review films and tv shows.

Now, to some, this wouldn’t seem like a fun thing to do, but it gives both of us life.

Here’s the challenging part: I’m not letting myself plan any of it. Normally, I would have an entire season pre-planned and pre-recorded, I would have social media graphics created for each episode, and an entire marketing strategy planned. I would be working on ways to get sponsors and, eventually, monetize it. But I’m not doing that this time, I’m choosing to do something just for the sake of doing it, which is an opportunity for me to grow.

Leaving the Comfort Zone Behind

I say all this not to promote myself or my podcast (though you’re welcome to listen if you want to) but to ask you a simple question: how are you stepping outside your comfort zone? How are you putting yourself in a position to grow?

The beautiful thing about these questions is that we will each respond differently. I encourage you to share your answers with someone you trust and ask them what their answers are. Who knows, this act of sharing might be the way for you to step outside your comfort zone. Then, to take it a step further, hold each other accountable as you summon the courage to leave your comfort zone and grow.

Growth rarely happens in the comfort zone, so I encourage you to take a baby step out of it today, and see what happens.

How are you stepping outside your comfort zone?

Are you intentionally putting yourself in a position to grow? If so, how?

To go Deeper: Read The Baby Step Method, Having the Courage to Take a Single Step
Check out Love Does, Everybody Always
Listen to The Strategic Whimsy Experiment

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Disclosure: some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.