Embrace the Suck, Don't Get Stuck

No Pain, No Gain. How often have you heard that before?

I have read it on many gym walls, heard it booming during workouts by the seemingly animalistic beasts yelling at you to work harder and lift more than you expected of yourself. There is even an amazing movie—inspired by a true story I might add—Pain and Gain following this mantra.

This canned phrase comes from a basic principle—to grow in life you must face the consequences of the pain it takes to get there.

It’s time to embrace the suck so that you don’t get stuck.

Some growth points are harder than others, clearly. Look at the SEAL training photo used for the cover of this writing—those boys are having the hardest time of their lives. For right then anyway. It is unapologetically going to get harder for the sailors in the photo getting “wet and sandy” as they call it on Coronado Beach.

In the military before difficult evolutions often “easy day” is said mocking the toughness you face while embracing the grit needed to push through the experience. “The only easy day was yesterday” is another.

But what does all this mean? Who cares about sayings and phrases, right?

Wrong my friend. Cheering yourself on is a thing. Having others uplift you is also a major boost to morale and performance. These sayings help tackle the tough tasks and achieve success. Belief in change and development is a major driver and these cheers help achieve it.

Most often in life we aren’t in the gym. We aren’t on the beach getting “wet and sandy” with our fellow shipmates trying to achieve something so few often do. Often change is small and the daily “suck” you must embrace isn’t as bad as you’d expect.

In The Compound Effect Darren Hardy addresses this directly. In the book he utilizes multiple real-life examples where small, daily change has led to major outcomes over time. One great example is the experience of Beverly.

Beverly was in sales with Darren’s company and began speaking to him about a friend running a half marathon and how it was something impossible for her to achieve because of her stamina and current weight.

Despite all the roadblocks she faced she began to utilize “The Compound Effect” to help achieve her goal of matching her friend in a half marathon. Darren advised Beverly to begin by mapping a mile loop around her house and then “told her to walk the loop three times over a period of two weeks.”

Small goals building a monster habit bringing extreme change.

Soon Beverly began to jog some of the mile instead of just walking. She then added a minimalistic number of steps to the route each day after she began completing the full mile as a jog. After nine months she was running 13.5 miles multiple times a week.

Two other great examples used by Hardy are the compounding penny—give me three million dollars today or compound a penny over 31 days, it becomes over $10 million by day 31 by the way—and the example of the three friends Brad, Larry and Scott.

The compound penny is obvious, the friend’s look-in is a little more subtle.

Brad is the friend that buys the new TV, has the best toys in the garage and champions the latest and greatest recipes from the Food Network. Larry sticks to his usual routine, but Scott decides he wants a little change in life.

While Brad is enjoying the niceties of life, he only has increased calories by 125 a day. Small potatoes, right? Wrong.

That extra 125 calories over 31 months leads to 33.5 more pounds in a little over two years. His habits are snowballing away from success and fulfillment. His new found time sitting in front of the 75” TV isn’t all that bad, after all he is watching documentaries and the news. Wrong again.

He is caught up on current events, but his daily attitude is affected by the downtrodden headlines and his professional development has come to a halt in the past 31 months. As well, his relationship has fallen away as his attention and focus isn’t on growth or upliftment of others but playing with his newest hobby based in the garage. His focus is all on himself and his immediate wants, creating disconnection and causing Brad to become demotivated. He feels STUCK.

As for Larry, he isn’t that far behind and is likely a sounding board for Brad as he bitches about his wife, how bad work-life balance has gotten, and how he really hasn’t changed much in life, but getting older has brought on an uncomfortable number of extra pounds killing a lot of his self-esteem.

Then we have Scott. Scott wanted to change, and in the example Hardy uses, he changed very little. Over 31 months he consumed 125 less calories, began reading daily and started self-development studies, and he began exercising a few more days a week.

By month 31 Scott has lost weight, his marriage is better than ever, and he recently received a promotion due to his professional development that was a personal choice, not a demand.

Scott clearly is better off three years later than his buddies Larry and Brad. Scott probably doesn’t hang around those boys much anymore, he is seeking growth not stagnation.

When you look at your life, where can you cut 125 calories? When can you add the extra steps that lead you to running the half-marathon of life comfortably?

I know it all sounds simple, but it truly is that simple.

What if it’s a little bigger? What if it’s time to change jobs or leave a toxic relationship? It is still that simple.

Small, daily changes in your life will compound and lead to massive growth and change. If you are feeling “stuck” right now it sucks—plain and simple. Equally, it’s your choice to be there. To reach the highest mountain peak you must start by taking a single step forward.

Pick up the book, add a few steps to your walking trail routine, leave a note in the morning under the coffee cup for your significant other saying “I love you”. Simple, small changes in activity will lead to massive change.

You and everyone you touch will be better for it.