Goals Gone Wild January 5, 2007

Sit Down and Make Yourself Uncomfortable

Matthew Poepsel, LeftBrain/Co-Founder

Like many people, I enjoy freaks of nature. The platypus, the venus flytrap, etc. I've always marveled at those things in life that just aren't quite right.

Enter Dean Karnazes.

No, I'm not talking about TV's hunky Superman, that's Dean Cain - this Dean is a different kind of action hero. Dean Karnazes is a runner from San Francisco. I realize that being a runner hardly qualifies one to be a freak of nature. But when you do things like run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, I think you'd agree that this is a man who is stretching the limits of normalcy. (And Vaseline.)

Recently, I was sitting in a cozy chair flipping through the January 2007 issue of Outside magazine. I was happily sipping hot cocoa while perusing an article called "This Life Goes to 11". The piece is a fantastic read, and it begins with an interview with Karnazes. (He was running at the time - shocker.) In it, he describes how personal frustration on one particular birthday led him to a new life brimming with nutrition, health, and a hell of a lot of running. (And Vaseline.)

What makes Karnazes interesting - even for those of us who don't grind out twenty miles before breakfast - is his perspective on personal fulfillment and success. Karnazes recognizes that many people today are unhappy and lacking something in their lives just as he found himself to be the night he turned 30. I nodded my head as I read his comments. Then I came to a line that stopped me cold.

"We equate comfort with happiness, and now we're so comfortable we're miserable."

I stopped to ponder that notion. (And for another sip of hot cocoa.) I personally believe that comfort-seeking can be a major obstacle to personal success. Many of us would rather "make nice" than confront someone who is causing us grief. We eat comfort foods and sit down to relax after a hectic day of doing things we didn't really want to do in the first place. If we compare our lives to those of our ancestors, the quality of life and creature comforts we enjoy today are amazing. Still, the level of life satisfaction seems to be going down compared to those simpler times.

I think we'd all agree that once we've identified an important change in our lives - some sort of life improvement - we're not likely to succeed in achieving it through the pursuit of comfort. No, success requires sacrifice and hard work. There's no such thing as a free lunch. (All you can eat? Yes. Free? No.)

Rather than strap on our running shoes, let's consider some of the "discomforts" associated with your personal success. If you're like most people, you may find one or more of these things a bit unsettling:

Reflecting deeply on your own identity and values Making an important personal commitment and sticking to it Writing down your personal goals and posting them in plain view Taking a chance on something uncertain and going for it Asking another person for help in your goal pursuits

Okay, I understand that these things may make us uncomfortable - but, what's other options are there?

Enter Dean Karnazes. (Wait, wasn't he just here?)

Karnazes believes that struggle and discomfort are an inherent part of a life satisfaction. More importantly, he has dedicated much of his life-after-30 in proving it. Our friends at Wikipedia detail his ultra-athletic achievements.

• He rode a mountain bike for 24 hours straight. Is that crazy? Not if you share Karnazes' mindset.
• He ran 350 miles without stopping. Hey, pushing the limits is what makes him happy. Is that crazy?

In the interview, Karnazes summed up his philosophy with the statement: "Unless you're pushing yourself, you're not living life to the fullest." Is that crazy?

Considering how many of us relentlessly pursue comfort (physical and psychological) above all else it may seem that way. I'm just not comfortable with the alternative.

Here's to pushing our own limits and demanding success and genuine happiness in our lives - not just comfort.

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