Are You Ready to Start Conquering Your Dangerous Addiction to Comfort? Defeat procrastination right now, while reading this column.
By Jeff Shore Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
At this very moment something on your to-do list is nagging at you ...
- A proposal you need to write
- A payment you need to make
- An awkward phone call
- An administrative task
- An appointment you need to schedule
Wait, back up two steps: It's a phone call. That's it. You know the one I'm talking about: that phone call.
Related: 3 Dirty Little Habits That Will Kill Your Entrepreneurial Dreams
You needed to make it days (weeks? months?) ago. But you haven't. Why not? I'll tell you in two words: comfort addiction.
Procrastination is a form of comfort addiction. Think about it. We don't tend to procrastinate on doing things we find comfortable. I'm hungry -- I eat. I want to watch a show -- I watch.
Maybe this phone call you haven't made yet is to a difficult client, your difficult accountant or maybe your difficult father?
It doesn't matter. You just know you needed to make that call and the fact that you haven't hangs over your head day after day.
You haven't made the call because doing so makes you uncomfortable. There's not a lot more to it than that, really.
For a lesser mortal, this discomfort would be enough reason to maintain the procrastination. But not for you!
You are going to embrace that discomfort. And you are going to make that phone call right now. This very second.
Oh, I'm sorry -- were you waiting for me? Because I am waiting for you. To make the phone call. Now. Right now. Mid blog.
I've got coffee and The New York Times crossword puzzle in front of me. I'm good. I can wait. Make the call. Go ahead.
You're back? Good.
Related: Wake Up to These 3 Bad Habits Derailing Your Career
Now, put yourself in one of two categories:
1. "I made the call. I did it, and I didn't die or anything! I was bold in the face of my discomfort, and it feels great to have that call off my list and out of my head!"
2. "Uh, I'm just reading a blog post. I don't need to actually make a phone call, do I? You don't mean me, do you? Really, that call can wait."
Tell me who is better off right this very moment. Tell me who is more satisfied, productive and triumphant. Tell me who is the better person for denying their desire for comfort.
I encourage you to make this phrase your new mantra: Where there is no challenge, there is no change.
We do not feel challenged when we stay in our comfort zone. And no challenge means no change … and no change means no growth.
Staying addicted to comfort is the most efficient way to maintain the status quo. Don't be that person.
Go make that phone call.
