Day 275: On Staying a Champio n

You will never be entirely comfortable. This is the truth behind the champion — he is always fighting something. To do otherwise is to settle.

—Julien Smith 275

I’m sorry to break it to you, but if you expect that one day all discomfort will be gone from your life and you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your hard labor for the rest of your days, you’re wrong.

If you not only want to become a champion, but also stay a champion, by definition you’ll always need to fight something: fight to reach a new goal, overcome hardships, expand your comfort zone, and continue improving yourself little by little.

For example, at the time I’m writing this, it’s been two years since I started rock climbing. I used to be terrified of heights and taking falls. While my fear of heights and taking falls has greatly diminished, I’m still not free — and will never be free — from fear and discomfort when I’m climbing.

If you want to improve your climbing, you need to climb harder and harder routes. They will still make you uncomfortable and scared. Even the best rock climbers in the world still feel fear and experience discomfort — just like skydivers, public speakers, successful businesspeople, athletes, and any other top performers.

If you’d like to stay a champion, accept the fact that discomfort is here to stay. Embrace it as a teacher that will strengthen you and help you achieve ever greater feats, not as an annoying part of the process that you’d like to put behind as quickly as possible.