Comfort is the Enemy of Progress

One day you might find yourself thinking or saying, “I don’t need coaching. I’m good/fine/happy.”

You’re comfortable. Things are going smoothly.

But you can do better!!

The great PT Barnum once said, “Comfort is the enemy of progress.” He was absolutely right! Being comfortable takes away your desire to improve, to exceed expectations. It’s only when we step outside our comfort zone that we truly improve.

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

Discomfort forces us to act. It pushes us to change our environment and make improvements. If you become too comfortable, you stop aiming for something better.

When you’re out of your comfort zone, you’re motivated to improve processes, reduce expenses, evaluate marketing strategies—you want to find the best way of doing things!

On the other hand, comfort can make you sloppy. When you’re comfortable, you might worry less about costs. You might not spend enough time finding a better price from suppliers or looking for production efficiencies. You might not worry about staff productivity.

If this happens enough, you could quickly find yourself in trouble!

It’s important to stay out of your comfort zone if you’re a leader committed to succeeding in your business! Constantly strive for better ways to do things, more efficient procedures, fewer mistakes, and more profitability!

Bill Eckstrom and the Growth Rings

Here’s a Ted Talk by Bill Eckstrom on how comfort is a dangerous thing which can ruin your life:

Eckstrom says early on in the video, “What makes you comfortable can ruin you. What makes you uncomfortable is the only way to grow.” He describes a person’s ability to grow through various stages of discomfort as Growth Rings: At the lowest level of discomfort, you experience Stagnation; with a mild level of discomfort you experience Order; once you reach Complexity you are in a position for effective growth; if there’s too much discomfort you’re living in Chaos and you can no longer grow.

Which Growth Ring are you living in? Are you in a place where you can grow as a person and as a business owner? Or are you too comfortable to be motivated to grow?

If you feel you need some help to make your company more successful and more enjoyable, contact TMH Business Coaching today for a confidential, free, no-obligation consultation to propel you forward. Also, please feel free to add yourself to our weekly coaching tips email!

Business can be better™ and it should be!

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Kelli-Rae Tamaki

Kelli-Rae is truly passionate about successful business, and believes it can always be better, which is why she has spent 22 years studying, running, coaching and consulting with businesses, just like yours.
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