Are you comfortable? I’m not asking if you’re in your favorite chair right now, but are you following a routine that keeps you safe and happy? If so, good for you I suppose. If you have really found the key to your happiness and you have arrived at where you always wanted to be, then you are among very few who have. The rest of us have yet to satisfy all of our desires. But if there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that we don’t like being uncomfortable. This is what keeps us from growing. Without discomfort, there is little chance for growth. Think about all the important improvements that have happened in your life. Did it start from a point that was uncomfortable? I am certain that is had, and still, we avoid discomfort even when we desire change and growth.
You must not only embrace discomfort, but you must also have to actively pursue it as well. It is the only way to bring about meaningful change. I’m not talking about change for the sake of change, but rather fully exploring your greatest potential to satisfy your deepest desires. That can mean wealth, status, achievement, or whatever is in your heart, but there is something you have always wanted that you are not actively pursuing because you are afraid of the discomfort that risk will bring. In sales, in order to be successful, we must constantly put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, yet some of us still avoid it. If your sales career has left you feeling unsatisfied for any period of time, then it is time to embrace discomfort. Here are 5 things you can do to get uncomfortable, grow, and achieve better results.
- Network – It’s time to get out and meet new people. That’s what you should be doing all the time. If you find yourself in a lull, check your contact list and see how many new names you have recently added. There is a good chance that there aren’t many new faces. Take the uncomfortable chance of meeting new people.
- Prospect – Nothing is more uncomfortable for a salesperson than cold-calling. But this activity is what kick starts sales for sure no matter where you are in your sales career. Activity breeds activity, but it must start with you.
- Target new markets – Try hunting in a different pasture. It is as exciting as it is uncomfortable. This could be a new territory, demographic, or industry. It is a challenge that you can meet with success.
- Set higher goals – Why do you keep settling for the same results every year when you know you can do better? It is because you don’t want to be uncomfortable. Striving to get higher than you ever have can be done easier than you think if you try.
- Change careers – If you have maxed out your current opportunities and you are still unhappy, you are likely just collecting a paycheck at this point. No one else can change this for you except for you. Most people don’t like starting over again, but sometimes you have to take a small step back to take a big leap forward.
