15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

In a heartfelt letter to his daughter Yolande, sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois praised the merits of making yourself uncomfortable. "Don‘t shrink from new experiences and custom," he wrote. "Take the cold bath bravely. Enter into the spirit of your big bed-room. Enjoy what is and not pine for what is not. Read some good, heavy, serious books just for discipline: Take yourself in hand and master yourself."

Over a century later, Du Bois‘ advice still rings true. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is essential for personal growth and reaching your full potential. It‘s only by embracing discomfort that we gain the confidence and skills to achieve success on our own terms.

But let‘s be real – being uncomfortable is hard! Our brains are wired to avoid discomfort and seek comfort and familiarity. It takes deliberate practice to reprogram those natural tendencies and reap the benefits of regularly stepping outside your comfort zone.

In this post, we‘ll explore 15 uncomfortable things you should embrace bravely to accelerate your growth and success. Fair warning: none of these are easy! But with the right strategies and mindset, you can learn to push through the discomfort and come out stronger on the other side. Let‘s dive in.

1. Public Speaking

If the thought of speaking in front of a crowd makes your heart race and your palms sweat, you‘re not alone. Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is one of the most common phobias. In fact, some research suggests that more people fear public speaking than death!

But as uncomfortable as it can be, learning to speak confidently in front of others is a critical skill for both career and personal success. Being a compelling public speaker allows you to lead and inspire others, spread your ideas, and stand out from your peers.

So how do you get over your fear of public speaking? A few tips:

• Focus on your key points and practice with pivot lines to smoothly transition between them. Don‘t try to memorize every word.

• Remember that the audience wants you to succeed. They‘re not judging your every word – they want to learn something valuable from you.

• Use power posing before going on stage. Harvard professor Amy Cuddy‘s research has shown that standing tall in a confident posture for just two minutes can reduce stress hormones and make you feel more self-assured.

• Seize every opportunity to practice public speaking, whether it‘s asking a question in a meeting or volunteering for a toast at a social gathering. Exposure therapy is one of the best ways to overcome your fear.

With deliberate practice and by using these techniques to manage your nerves, you‘ll slowly chip away at your glossophobia. Over time, you may even start to enjoy the adrenaline rush and satisfaction that comes from captivating an audience and having an impact with your words.

2. Promoting Yourself

Many of us, especially women and marginalized folks, are taught from a young age not to be boastful or self-promotional. There‘s an unspoken expectation that if you put your head down and produce great work, your efforts will get noticed and rewarded appropriately.

But the hard truth is, that‘s often not the case. In busy, rapidly growing companies, it‘s all too easy for your achievements to fly under the radar if you‘re not deliberately drawing attention to them. Staying quiet about your successes doesn‘t serve you or your company.

That‘s why learning to advocate for yourself is a crucial skill, even if it‘s uncomfortable at first. Here are a few ways to promote yourself tastefully:

• Focus on the work, not yourself. Instead of saying "I‘m the best at X," highlight the impact and results of the initiative you led.

• Share credit where it‘s due. Acknowledging your team‘s efforts while making your contributions clear helps you come across as a leader, not a glory hog.

• Provide context and connect the dots. Don‘t assume your manager will automatically understand why the thing you achieved matters. Explain how it ladders up to larger company goals.

• Choose the right medium and timing. A team-wide email may be appropriate for a major milestone, while a quick chat or "weekly wins" doc is better for smaller victories.

It may feel awkward to put the spotlight on yourself at first. But promoting your work is a service to your team and company, not just yourself. Your good work can inspire and guide others, attract new opportunities and talent, and ensure important efforts get the resources and recognition they deserve to have an even greater impact. Normalize talking about your achievements – it‘s not selfish, it‘s essential!

3. Disagreeing With Your Boss

We‘re taught from a young age to respect authority figures. Many of us carry that mindset into the workplace, wanting to be seen as easy to work with and supportive of our managers‘ vision. Rocking the boat by disagreeing with your boss? Talk about uncomfortable!

But the reality is, your manager isn‘t always right. They don‘t know everything and their perspective is limited, just like anyone else‘s. If you spot flaws in their logic or have an idea for a better approach, respectfully voicing that dissent is the right thing to do – even if it‘s nerve-wracking in the moment.

Healthy disagreement and debate are vital for effective decision making and continuous improvement. As a manager myself, I rely on my team to pressure test my assumptions, poke holes in my arguments, and suggest alternatives I hadn‘t considered. Our best work happens through respectful dissent, not blind agreement.

Of course, there‘s a right and wrong way to disagree with your boss. A few pointers:

• Ask questions to understand their perspective fully before jumping to critique it. You may gain context that explains their rationale.

• Focus on facts and logic, not emotions. Starting with "I disagree because…" and then outlining your evidence or reasoning depersonalizes it.

• Pick your battles. Save your dissent for issues that really matter, not every little disagreement. You want your voice to be heard when it counts.

• Suggest a viable alternative path. Disagreement without a proposed solution can come across as complaining versus problem-solving.

• Don‘t let it get personal. If your boss shuts down your idea, don‘t hold a grudge. Assume positive intent and keep collaborating in good faith.

Disagreeing with your boss is always a bit dicey, but it‘s a valuable skill to hone. Remember – your voice matters! Often, your manager will appreciate you raising thoughtful dissent, even if they don‘t always agree or take your advice. It shows you care and are thinking critically for the good of the team.

4. Owning Up to Mistakes

Oof, is there anything more uncomfortable than that sinking feeling when you realize you screwed up? Your instinct may be to avoid responsibility, make excuses, or beat yourself up. But those reactions won‘t serve you well in the long run.

Failure and mistakes are inevitable parts of taking risks and growing in your career. You will drop the ball sometimes, no matter how smart or hardworking you are. What separates successful people is how they handle those screw ups.

Owning your mistakes is uncomfortable in the moment, but it‘s the fastest way to recover and earn respect from your team. A few tips for taking responsibility when things go wrong:

• Assess the situation objectively. How bad is it really? What needs to be done to fix it? Taking smart action quickly is the best way to minimize the damage.

• Communicate proactively. Let anyone impacted by your error know what happened, apologize sincerely, and explain how you‘ll avoid it going forward.

• Don‘t dwell or beat yourself up. Acknowledge the mistake, commit to learning from it, and move on. Punishing yourself will only make you risk-averse.

• Give yourself credit for owning it. Accountability isn‘t easy! Recognize the courage it took and that you‘re building an important skill.

The more you practice taking responsibility for your mistakes, the easier it will get. You‘ll earn a reputation as someone with strong character and integrity who can be trusted to do the right thing. And paradoxically, you‘ll likely make fewer mistakes as you learn and improve from each one.

No one likes messing up, but how you handle failure says a lot about you. Embrace the discomfort of owning your mistakes – it‘s a short-term pain for a long-term gain.

Final Thoughts

Seeking discomfort goes against our every human instinct. But to evolve into the best version of ourselves, both personally and professionally, we have to venture beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone. It‘s only by facing our fears, admitting our imperfections, and pushing ourselves to the edge of our abilities that we gain the perspective and experience to reach our potential.

As you reflect on the ideas we covered – from public speaking to disagreeing with authority to promoting yourself – identify one or two areas where you know you have room to grow. Start small and practice pushing yourself in low-stakes situations: voice a dissenting opinion in a team meeting, or share a mini win in your next 1:1. Notice how it goes and how you feel before, during and after. Then gradually dial up the challenge level as you build confidence.

Remember, no one develops these skills overnight. It takes ongoing practice to make discomfort your friend and not something to fear and avoid. Be patient and compassionate with yourself in the process. Every time you choose to be brave, you‘re investing in your strength and resilience.

You may not have a doting father figure sending you sage advice like Du Bois, but you can still heed his wisdom. Train yourself to "take the cold bath bravely" and watch how it transforms your life and work. Discomfort is simply the price of entry for accessing a more fulfilling, successful and impactful existence. You‘ve got this!

Want to accelerate your career growth? The HubSpot Academy offers free online training to help you hone the skills we covered here and so many more. Check out our course catalog to keep investing in your development.