On Grit, Discomfort, and Long-Term Growth

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people tell me to find moderation and take more time for myself—and while I understand where that comes from, I’ve also always had a very clear long-term vision. That vision has been the fire behind everything I’ve built.

There were a lot of choices I made intentionally.

I haven’t got to socialize with friends much. I haven’t dated. I haven’t bought myself new clothes or shoes. I haven’t really taken vacations. I haven’t engaged in any of my pricier hobbies. My physical health has been on the back burner. I’ve lost about ten pounds in the last couple of months alone. And honestly, it has felt a little like method acting— just get through the performance, and then you can take care of yourself after the premiere. 😅

When it really came down to the wire, I was eating frozen meals for almost every single meal—because I genuinely did not have the time, energy, or nervous system capacity to cook.

That season required a level of focus and fortitude that a lot of people never see from the outside.

There’s a book I love called The Comfort Crisis that talks about how we’ve sought comfort for so long that we’ve lost our tolerance for discomfort. The moment something feels hard, we assume something is wrong.

But discomfort isn’t always the problem.
Sometimes, it’s the path. The Obstacle Is The Way (yet another Stoic literary reference).

To me, that is self-care.

Not always bubble baths. Sometimes it’s conviction. Sometimes it’s saying no to everything else because you believe deeply in what you’re building. I’ve accepted short-term losses for long-term gains—and for me, that trade has been worth it.

And this is exactly why I think about discomfort differently than most people do—for humans and for dogs.