Getting Comfortable With Being Comfortable

 Today marks the end of my spring semester and the start of some downtime before my summer course begins. For the first time in a long time, I felt bittersweet when I hit submit on my final assignment, marking the end of the course; I was going to miss the coursework and learning I had grown accustomed to for the past six weeks.  This was not the experience I had when I closed out the winter semester or the fall semester prior.  The sense of relief and unburdening I experienced was immense; I knew I needed the downtime to prepare for the next courses on my schedule, and instead of savouring the days, I clung to them and wished for more. 

Reading this, you might wonder why in the world I would continue along a path that was causing so much discomfort and distress, and that is a valid question.  One that I had asked myself on numerous occasions along the way.  The truth of the matter is that the feeling of discomfort was something I was used to, and there was some comfort in the idea that if things felt this hard and uncomfortable, the outcome would be that much more rewarding and worthwhile. 

This grind mentality is not a new concept, and in some shape or form we have all likely fallen under its spell, whether that be at our work or in a personal goal.  We are told that hard work pays off, and the idea that the harder you work, the more payoff there will be is often what keeps us chained to a hamster wheel of productivity, head down, blinders on, simply pushing and pushing until the finish line.  More often than not, that finish line moves away from us as we work harder to reach it, setting us up for what can feel like a lifetime of striving to almost reach our target. 

Enough is enough.  

Stepping back from the grind mindset for these past six weeks has shown me that it is okay to feel comfort in being comfortable; there is no shame in not twisting yourself inside out and taking on more than you can handle, all in the name of achievement.  Sure, there are growth opportunities outside of our comfort zone, and I feel like we achieve more when we push our perceived limits and extend ourselves while maintaining a healthy balance in our lives between work and joy.  I don't think growth can happen when we have no capacity to absorb the lessons that come with it.  

What does this mean, going forward?  I will still set goals and have objectives and will work towards achieving them, and I will do so at a pace and with a mindset that allows for a wider lens on life and space for enjoying the journey instead of putting all of my energy on just getting to the destination.