A lot of times, discomfort comes from contrast. It can be agonizing to wade slowly into a cold lake or river, but jumping in is a second of bracing cold, then you feel fine. A “warm day” in the middle of winter would feel positively chilly in the middle of summer. It is all relative to what feels normal.

New skills and habits can seem this way as well. The first few times can feel so awkward that you stop trying. If you stick with it for a few days it might not seem so bad.

I was lamenting my discomfort with recording myself on video. I had tried once or twice and could hardly watch the replay. My friend Duncan suggested we do a daily challenge where we each answer a question on video and send it to the other person.

Day 1 was as awkward as expected and required 2 takes to make one I was willing to send. Days 2 and 3 were still a bit awkward, but getting easier. It started to get comfortable around day 4 or 5 and my personality started to come out. Strangely enough, after 7 days of this I now get a little bit excited to make new video.

What could you accomplish if you push through discomfort?