Stretch Capacity
Feb 23, 2017 · 2 min read
I’m a fervent believer in the need to challenge and stretch yourself in all facets of life. To become comfortable being uncomfortable.
Over the past few years, I’ve been intentional about putting myself through experiences where I’m stretched beyond what I thought I was capable of. Through these experiences, I’ve developed more character, grit, and perspective. Of course there are times that I get scared and retreat back to my comfort zone, but all in all I’ve adopted a pretty fearless mentality where I’m up for any challenge.
Specifically, I’ve focused on the following areas to stretch myself:
- Friends: You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. With that said, I’ve tried to surround myself with a close-knit group of amazing friends who are way better than me at certain things (and hopefully I complement them with my strengths), and who inspire and support me to become my best self.
- Travel. Traveling to a new city with a completely different culture is always eye-opening in the best of ways. To sum it up in one word, travel teaches perspective. Even though 2017 is the start of Panacea and thus will take up most of my mind share and time, I’m going to be deliberate about travel (i.e. weekend trips) to ensure I continue to stretch myself and become a more capable leader (and all-around better person).
- Fitness. Physical activity is a great platform to challenge yourself. I have a daily litmus test where I want to push through that “wall” (aka the point at which I feel like I’m going to collapse and die) every time I work out. It hurts like hell — there’s no way to sugarcoat it. But, it’s an exhilarating feeling to push beyond that wall and end up on the “other side,” with the renewed confidence that I can do something I previously thought was impossible. Before I started this post, a friend and I just signed up for the Toughest Mudder (an 8-hour obstacle course marathon where you try to complete as many 5-mile circuits as possible) because we wanted to have something to train for. And fuck, did we choose something challenging.
- Dating. Dating has been a big part of my social life since I graduated from college. I’ve experienced so many emotions and learned so much about myself through dating women. Dating has transformed me from a boy into a man in a lot of ways. One thing I’ve become aware of is that starting a company can come at the sacrifice of other important aspects of my life. Sacrifice is important, but I want to be intentional about the few things I want to maintain as I continue on this crazy entrepreneurial journey. With that said, I’m going to be intentional about dating because it’s important to me.
Are you stretching yourself? In what ways? I’d love to hear from you.
