If our goal is to be fearless, three things usually happen:
1. We avoid things that cause discomfort
(which is good if we’re in danger, but not so good if we’re trying to learn)
2. We put the majority of our attention and focus on the discomfort
(why am I feeling this, how do I get rid of it?)
3. We shame ourselves for feeling the discomfort
(I must not be be ready, I don’t belong, I’m doing something wrong)
All three can hurt both learning and performance.
We can avoid these problems by changing our mindset towards discomfort. When we learn that it’s ok to feel uncomfortable, human & adaptive to feel stress (especially before a challenge) we can then:
1. Approach more learning situations that create discomfort
2. Focus on the task at hand, rather than how we feel
3. Stop shaming ourselves for being a human
