We have all heard the motto “no pain, no gain”. For me, this brings to mind connotations of an angry drill sergeant screaming in the face of frightened kids. Not my idea of fun, nor something I would want to continue doing for the rest of my life.
I, personally, don’t push myself to the point of pain. Discomfort, yes; pain, no. When I have made the mistake of pushing myself to pain, I have injured myself. An injury means a set back and a delay in reaching our goal.
Discomfort on the other hand means that I am doing a little more than I am used to doing and making progress. By using discomfort as my guide, I know when its time to jog a little farther, up the speed on the treadmill or increase the weights. On the flip side, it also guides me on when to stop. So, I expect to say uncomfortable and hopefully pain and injury free.
How about you? Are you getting out of your comfort zone?