Saying No to Comfort, and Yes to Growth.

Any fellow runner understands “saying no to comfort and yes to growth”.

The other day I was running, it was a Saturday morning and halfway through my run, I wanted to quit, walk back, sit on the couch and drink coffee. I deserve the break, right? It’s Saturday morning anyways.

Then I blurted out, “screw comfort, I want growth!!” and I finished that run. Every time my excuses crept back in, I repeated that mantra.

I love how running keeps you accountable, sure you can skip a day or two, but your body is keeping track. Sure you can eat like crap, but you're going to feel it. Sure you can stay up late watching TV, but you're going to feel it. There’s essentially no hiding everything else you do in your day when it comes to running. Running brings out any bad decision you thought you could indulge in; drinking, junk food, skipped workouts, skipped sleep.

As a leader, you have to keep yourself accountable. You have to take care of yourself because everyone is counting on you, every minute of every day. When you decide to lead a company, there are no days off. At any point, the pendulum could swing and you have to be ready.

Furthermore, as a leader, you set the tone for the company. It’s similar to the captain of a team, no one looks up to the sluggish, negative teammate. They want a captain that’s positive, works hard, is consistent, communicates effectively, and shows up early to practice. A great captain wants everyone to succeed and takes accountability. Those types of team captains are able to effectively get the team to move together and push themselves out of comfort into growth.

To be a great leader, you have to be self-motivated to push yourself from within. You have to possess self-accountability and consistency. When you are your own team captain, your desire to be your very best for everyone else has to be well beyond average.

Screw comfort, I want growth.