It’s because they gravitate towards comfort! Most people will avoid discomfort with a passion reserved for very few other things in life. This is why you see people in your life put off changes they know they need to make for years or even decades.

I bet you know plenty of people who are constantly discussing needing to shed a few pounds. You probably also see many more people discussing the need to exercise more or stop drinking or smoking. Many of these people repeat these things like mantras year after year after year.

People, as I have described above (who sadly make up the majority), only accomplish their above-stated goals once their discomfort level with being overweight, out of shape, drinking, or smoking overtakes their comfort level in staying the way they are.

Examples of this are their doctor telling them that they will die in a year if they don’t lose weight or start exercising. Or that they will lose their job and family if they do not get their drinking under control. Sometimes, they are so married to being comfortable that even these examples are not enough to get them to take practical actions.

Few places illustrate the problem better than a golf driving range. Nearly everyone is hitting their driver (the club that tends to hit the ball the farthest). This is despite the driver being one of the least essential clubs in your bag. It’s because it feels good to hit the ball far and gives the “feeling” of improvement when you have a long drive.

In reality, putting is the most important single part of golf, but you fail a lot when you practice putting, which is an uncomfortable feeling for most people. Hitting any club other than your driver will likely help you to improve your golf game more.

We all instinctively live in comfort circles. Some are large, and some are tiny. It does not matter how big your comfort circle is; it will only become larger when you are willing to step outside of it. People who always play it safe will never enlarge their comfort circle.

All growth comes from challenging your current limits. Our brains naturally crave comfort, but if you genuinely want to be exceptional or even accomplish small goals that you have, like shedding a few pounds, it’s up to you to learn to control your brain and not be a victim of its natural laziness.

The easiest way to do this without professional help is to commit to doing something you do not want to do every single day. I do this, and I can assure you that over time, it will lessen your resistance to change and open up a bright new world you never saw before.

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @SuperTaoInc

Posted in The Mind Side Blog