The Fifth Pillar: Choosing Power Over Comfort

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Join us as we continue our series through the 6 Pillars of Performance:

  1. Holding your ground in leadership.
  2. Becoming wise and wealthy.
  3. Empowering your self-esteem.
  4. Amplifying your energetic antenna.
  5. Choosing power over comfort.
  6. Keeping your composure under pressure.

For more information, a workshop, and courses on these pillars, you can go to the programs page. 

 

 

Did you know we are only born with two fears? 


Yes, you read that right - we are only born with two fears. 


The only fears we are born with are the fear of loud noises, and the fear of falling. 


Everything else is learned. 


That is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever read. 


Why? 


Because if we learned to fear, we can also learn to choose power!


So many of our fears are actually based on comfort - not legitimate fear. 


If your light is on when you go to the bathroom at 3 am, you can see threats better. Like the Legos your son left out in the middle of the hallway.

Life or death? Nope. 

 

But a risk to your comfortable, sleepy feet? ABSOLUTELY. 


Will speaking in front of your peers kill you? Nope.
Make you uncomfortable? Absolutely. 


(Ironically, the fear of public speaking is the number one fear in America...three spots higher than dying. So if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than giving the eulogy. Look it up.)


So, if 93% of what we are afraid of never happens, what are we really sacrificing in the meantime?


We are choosing comfort over power. 


Maybe speaking at that conference and owning it gets you a promotion. But if you don’t make the conscious choice to choose to embrace your power, instead of giving in to comfort, you will continue to stay right where you are. 


Frustrated with your circumstances.

Stagnant in your growth. 

Unsatisfied with your success. 

Yearning for something different. 


Every conscious choice you make, you have the opportunity to embrace your power.

 

Make a lunch to take to work, or go out with coworkers?


Change your perspective. What choice are you really making?


Save money to meet your savings goal, or enjoy a socially acceptable spending habit. One causes discomfort, but achieves your goal, while the other gives comfort, but takes away from your goal. While this is a very elementary example, it’s a good representation of how you can reframe your choices. 


Because comfort will hold you back, every time. 

 

What are areas in your life you are choosing comfort over power? In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear writes that

     "Researchers estimate that 40 to 50 percent of our actions on any given day are done out of habit...Habits are automatic choices that influence the conscious decisions that follow. Yes, a habit can be completed in just a few seconds, but it can also shape the actions that you take for minutes or hours afterward. Habits are like the entrance ramp to a highway. They lead you down a path, and before you know it, you're speeding toward the next behavior...Everyday, there are a handful of moments that deliver an outsized impact. I refer to these little choices as decisive moments. The moment you decide between ordering takeout or cooking dinner. The moment you choose between driving your car or riding your bike. The moment you decide between starting your homework or grabbing the video game controller...Decisive moments set the options available to your future self."

 

So, when you are considering how you can choose power over comfort, think about what constitutes the decisive moments in your normal day. The snooze button, for one. You hit snooze, and while the extra ten minutes feel wonderful, you are more tired when you get up. Why? Because your body tried to start another sleep cycle, which then got interrupted. Again. And again. And again. (Or maybe you don't hit the snooze three times, that could just be me.)

 

Or the lunchtime example I gave. 

 

Or the route you take home. One takes you by the gym, so you can get a workout in and run off the stress of your day. The other takes you by the pizza place on the corner. 


When you start to identify these decisive habits, ask yourself how you can make it as easy as possible to choose power over comfort. 

 

Be brave. Choose power.