Minute With Mallon: Embrace the Discomfort!

Oct 7

Welcome to Minute with Mallon!

Something I Taught:

On a call about a week ago, I was working with a client who is getting some pretty amazing results in his work. We began working together nearly two years ago, but due to some circumstances beyond our control, we had to take a break for almost a year.

As we began diving into where he’s currently at professionally, he began to tell me about some big wins that he's had over the last half year. I was impressed at the outcomes he's been getting and asked him what had changed since last we'd worked together.

He said these words:

"I go out of my way to be uncomfortable."

I realized that I'd never heard someone say that before.

He started telling me about very specific things he's been doing that get him out of his comfort zone. And he told me about how even if the fear is still there, by taking action it's greatly reduced. He’s chasing it! 👏

What really got my attention was the positive energy he now has. His body language and the way he spoke were way different than when we worked together before.

Which brings me to this:

You will never have growth without discomfort.

Recently I've read a lot about Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. She is a prime example of someone who deliberately stepped outside her comfort zone to achieve personal and professional growth. Her journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur is full of moments where she embraced discomfort in order to grow.

Sara’s mindset around discomfort and growth was shaped by her father, who would ask her at the dinner table, “What did you fail at today?” If she didn’t have an answer, he would be disappointed.

He taught her that failure wasn’t something to fear, but something to embrace—a necessary part of growth. This helped Sara develop a mindset where discomfort and failure were not to be avoided but to be seen as opportunities for learning.

Sara Blakely’s success came from embracing discomfort. By stepping out of her comfort zone, and taking risks, she built resilience and became a fearless entrepreneur—and a billionaire!

As Sara said, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.”

Discomfort is essential if you want to reach your full potential.

So based on this, what's one way that you can get out of your comfort zone today? How about this week?

Let me know! I'd seriously love to hear about it!!

Something to Ponder:

"Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear."

George Addair

Something I Learned:

In his book, "Deep Work," Cal Newport defines deep work as "professional activities performed in a state of focused, distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive abilities to their limit." These efforts create new value, improve skills, and are hard to replicate.

Here are six techniques Cal offers to help you begin doing deep work:

● Schedule Deep Work Blocks: Start by intentionally setting aside time for deep work. Even if it's just an hour a day, block out uninterrupted periods to focus on complex tasks. Over time, you can increase the duration as you get better at focusing.

● Eliminate Distractions: Create a distraction-free environment. Turn off notifications, avoid social media, and limit interruptions during your deep work sessions. Consider using tools like website blockers or working in isolation to maximize focus.

● Work on Fewer Tasks: Prioritize the most important, high-impact tasks and commit to working deeply on those. Don’t try to juggle too many things at once—this dilutes focus.

● Develop a Routine: Build a consistent routine for deep work. Newport suggests setting specific times of day or even days of the week dedicated to deep work. This helps train your brain to expect and more easily enter a focused state.

● Embrace Boredom: Train your brain to resist constant distractions by practicing boredom. Newport suggests stepping away from quick entertainment (like checking your phone) and using downtime to let your mind wander. This builds your ability to focus when needed.

● Be Ruthless with Your Time: Guard your deep work hours fiercely. Learn to say no to shallow work commitments (like meetings or emails) that take away from your deep work focus.

By the way, it was a terrific book. I gave it a "10" and would highly recommend it!