Wednesday Wisdom: embracing discomfort

Understanding that discomfort is the gateway to growth can be a motivating force

Calling a game in Annapolis gave me the chance to watch the pregame tradition of the Brigade of the Midshipmen, which was an inspirational moment of reflection.

Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Wisdom here at Play by Play U. Today’s topic is going to be about embracing discomfort.

I can’t tell you how many coaches I’ve heard over the years say “we want to be comfortable being uncomfortable.” It’s a catchy phrase, but one that’s easy to write off as coachspeak. But, the reason coaches say it is because it’s true, and it applies to your life and career, too.

If you’re reading this, no matter how accomplished you are in your broadcasting career, there’s probably still somewhere else you'd like to be, even if you’re OK with it being a few years down the road. Even if you're at your dream job, there's still a level you'd like to take your game to. You probably want to improve at execution so you can do your dream job well. You likely desire to nail that big moment you haven't had a chance to call yet. Or if you have risen to the occasion for the big moments in the past, you know there are going to be more coming and you want to remain sharp to tackle those in the future, or make that tweak live in the moment so it could be even better.

There's a gap between where you are and where you aspire to go. One realization I've had in recent years is that bridging that gap requires discomfort. There’s no other way. It will be unpleasant to close that gap, but that's the price you must pay. It’s not going to happen without getting uncomfortable.