Bring the Pain!

by Josh Orendi

I remember in college getting a soccer t-shirt that read, “No Pain, No Gain.”  On the pitch I knew that to be true.  Yet, it took me several more years before I realized the t-shirt geniuses weren’t just talking about sports.

The other day I had a realization….  I sincerely cannot recall a moment in my entire life when I grew as a man/friend/professional except for moments that followed feeling uncomfortable.  Literally, it’s the pocket of time that overlaps and follows the pain where improvement is conceived.

Talking with several close friends about this phenomenon, we all seemed to agree that one key factor in our success is that we’re passionate about growing as individuals.  We all choose an attitude that proactively invites the uncomfortable.  In fact, several of us said we “look forward to … even get excited” when the uncomfortable approaches, because we know that growth is on the other side.

It’s the difference between a guy that goes to the gym and a body builder.  Doing one set, one rep, then going home yields no results.  Body builders know that the most important reps are the ones after the burn.  The pain is exciting!  It indicates that growth is about to happen. 

Clarification:  Not all pain is good.  LOL!

As Woody Woodcock often reminds me, it’s all about mindset.  Success in large part is a choice.  Think about your summer recruitment plans — cold calls, meeting strangers, preparing for formal recruitment, etc.  Young leaders face high expectations that come with pressure.  Rather than letting that become stress, consider a new mindset.  Think, “BRING THE PAIN!” because that’s the only thing that is going to make you a better person (the discomfort of working outside of your comfort zone). 

For many, becoming Socially Excellent depends very much on your willingness to first feel the pain of social discomfort.  You’ll feel awkward, clumsy, and scared the first few times you try to adopt an attitude of Social Excellence.  But that’s just the feeling of growing as a person.  Think of the person you want to become, think of the organization you want to create — the only difference between right now and that vision is a small amount of growing pains. 

So, I say BRING THE PAIN!