Comfort Is the Enemy of Achievement

There’s an old Mike Peters cartoon in which a veterinarian assesses a cat on the exam table.

The vet says to the cat, “Speak,” and the cat just sits there. Then the vet says, “Roll over,” and again, nothing. Finally, the vet says, “Play dead,” and the cat blissfully ignores him.

The vet turns to the concerned owner and says, “The cat is just fine.”

If you’re a cat owner, you can relate.

Seems all my cats do is eat, sleep, goof off, and then call it a day. They’re feline flâneurs without a care in the world.

Cats embody the saying, “Do what you’ve always done, get what you’ve always got.” They always get what they want. I pretend to be tough, but soon enough they seduce me into busting out the bag of cat treats.

You won’t find your cat studying the latest self-help book or worrying about atomic habits. Your cat is too busy napping. And why should cats concern themselves with goals and personal growth? They’ve domesticated humans and taught us to cater to their every need.

Ah, to be a cat.

Most cats live lives of abject comfort, without really lifting a paw, but it’s a different story for human beings. Comfort may be the goal for cats, but comfort is often a trap for us. And if we want to grow and achieve in life, then we must get comfortable with the uncomfortable. We have to realize something about comfort.

Comfort is the enemy of achievement.

To become what we are capable of becoming

When I was younger I played varsity tennis.

I first made it on the junior varsity team and had to work hard to move up to varsity. My Dad hired a coach on the weekends to help me improve my game. There were many hours of practice, volleying, serving, and running drills to improve my speed and agility.

 

Looking back, despite all the hard work, I didn’t mind. Because I loved playing tennis. It was all fun for me.

Many years later, during and after my university days, I studied the martial art of jujitsu. I enjoyed sparring with partners and found jujitsu to be a helpful self-defense skill in my law enforcement career.

But it became difficult to attend all the classes.

I was working as a police sergeant at the time, and the jujitsu school was a 40-minute drive out of town. Shift work, unexpected overtime, and raising a little boy all required time and attention.

Then there were the injuries, including one scary incident when a partner threw me on the mat, knocking my heart into a superventricular tachycardia. An ambulance was called, and the hospital ER team gave me an injection that corrected the heart rhythm.

I went back to class a few times, but the freak injury involving my heart made me fearful. Also, on my days off from work, I enjoyed reading and relaxing at home with my family.

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life. — Robert Louis Stevenson, Familiar Studies of Men and Books

My goal was to get a black belt, but I never made it past a brown belt (which is one belt shy of a black belt).

I liked the comfort of home, and thus my jujitsu career ended with my brown belt. Sometimes I regret not reaching my black belt, since I was so close.

Regrettably, comfort was the enemy of achievement.

I’m no longer involved with tennis, jujitsu, or any other sports these days. Old injuries and general aging have made me cautious. But I want to stay fit, so I walk my dogs regularly and I hit the gym every other day. I focus on cardio and weight training.

 

I don’t particularly enjoy my time at the gym, but I like the results in both my health and appearance. So I discipline myself to work out regularly.

In the past, tennis was fun for me, even the arduous coaching sessions. Jujitsu was fun as well, but my career and family commitments made it hard to train regularly. And after the heart incident, and some laziness, I decided to give it up.

There are many days when reading on the couch sounds much nicer than going to the gym, but I keep reminding myself that comfort is the enemy of achievement. If I want to feel and look good, I have to get off the couch.

I have to put in the work.

A name worth remembering

I attended a commissioning ceremony recently for new Second Lieutenants at our local university ROTC detachment.

One of the things that struck me was how impressive these young Second Lieutenants were. In addition to carrying full academic loads for the last four years, they also participated in rigorous ROTC training. They learned all about commitment, planning, accountability, ethics, leadership, physical fitness, and more.

In talking with them, I noticed how they stood up straight, possessed command presence, looked me in the eyes, and spoke articulately about their goals, specific disciplines, and pride of service. I admired that these young men and women chose to pursue achievement over comfort. In this day and age of instant gratification and online distractions, I’m encouraged that our young people are willing to do hard things to grow and achieve.

After the ceremony, I stopped by the campus Starbucks for coffee.

In front of me were two university students. One was wearing loose-fitting pajama bottoms that exposed the top of his buttocks. His hair was disheveled, his face unshaven, and he spoke with profanity to the buddy beside him. It was a rant about his “stupid professor.” The other student wore shorts, sandals, and a ripped T-shirt. He swore as well, and neither thanked the barista when she handed them their drinks.

I couldn’t help but notice the difference between the young Second Lieutenants and the two university students swearing in front of me.

I’m sure there were days when the ROTC students would rather have been home playing video games, or sipping coffee and complaining about their classes. But instead, they set aside personal comfort in pursuit of personal achievement.

Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering. — Theodore Roosevelt

To be fair, we’ve all had days when we’re not at our best.

Lord knows, when I was a graduate student, I often wore old jeans and tattered T-shirts. And I swore on occasion. I was young and still figuring myself out.

But even back then, I admired the ROTC cadets I saw on campus. They always looked so sharp in uniform and the way they carried themselves. It wasn’t that I wanted to join the military. Rather, it was that I wanted to build something of myself. I wanted to grow and achieve, like those ROTC cadets.

I wanted to have a purpose.

Those who attempt the absurd

Nearly everything of value in my life was the result of sacrifice, hard work, and effort.

Yes, there were a few lucky breaks, and I was immensely fortunate to have been raised by loving parents who guided my development. But in the end, I still had to put in the work, effort, and study. And I had to make sacrifices.

Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible. — Albert Einstein

My father always told me to worry less about what others have and focus on my own growth and development. I’m sure he knew Teddy Roosevelt’s great words, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Of course, I had my stumbles along the way. Times when I opted for comfort or laziness, leading to missed opportunities. But I learned from those times and vowed to do better.

It’s important to aim high.

Life is more fulfilling when you shun the easy road and do difficult things in pursuit of achievement. Those difficult things add up over time, just like weightlifting reps over many months yield stronger muscles.

Many of the armchair critics and complainers in life take shots at achievers. They like to criticize them. But deep down, it’s not the achievers they’re upset with.

It’s themselves.

Comfort is the enemy of achievement. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about big achievements or small ones. Every time we shun comfort and shoot for the stars, the achievements that often come are part of what makes life so sweet.

Some people may say your dreams and goals are absurd. Chase them anyway. You owe it to yourself to try. Even when we fall short, like I did with a jujitsu brown belt instead of a black belt, we learn a great deal.

A failed effort is better than no effort at all. It may disappoint, but it instructs.

Get off the couch.

Put on those sneakers. Dust off that easel. Bust out the old manuscript you put away. Pick up that musical instrument again. Find the courage to forgive or apologize. Whatever it is, or was, dive back in. It’s never too late.

Comfort is the enemy of achievement.

Before you go

 

John Patrick Weiss writes stories and essays about life, often illustrated with his black and white photography. Visit  JohnPatrickWeiss.com.

—

This post was previously published on Medium.com.