Ever had a blister?
Sure you have, and probably more than one. Cast your mind back to that moment when you developed a blister.
What were you doing?
I imagine for most of us, we developed blisters when we took on a new activity (or possibly a familiar activity we hadn’t done for some time), with a heightened sense of urgency and possibly with an increased intensity, duration, and frequency, or maybe a combination of all of the above.
The blister was the result of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, and to that place beyond your physical tolerance; which then manifested as a blister.
In our previous article we identified that taking any action is the result and derived the combination of our desire and our risk tolerance (our desire for an outcome over the risk of experiencing pain). We also considered that it is wise, before taking action, to understand at a detailed level, the critical criteria required to establish and identify which correct action or best actions are the most beneficial to take.
Case in point, as I was planning to move our discussion into game theory and performance measurement with this article, I developed a painful blister from running. And the resulting pain and discomfort reminded me of the importance of taking action… specifically, action that takes place in the zone of discomfort (and at times pain).
The discomfort that we feel in that moment of action provides an opportunity for learning via feedback and helps build our capacity to adjust and take on increased action. It is this continual action that ultimately moves us towards our goals.
Action is required to realize our vision goals, and when we are up to something that is compelling and bigger than who we are now, these actions will most likely take us far outside our comfort zone and into that zone of discomfort. This is the first requirement in using game theory. You need to get out of the bleachers and into the game! It is the authentic “Call-to-Action.”
And here is a “critical” reality…
It is only when we are in action that we have the opportunity to measure cause and effect. It is when we’re in motion, as a result of the actions that we are taking, that we can truly measure our performance and whether or not we’re moving closer to our goal.
Creating a causal loop through action is where we begin to identify the “correct actions.” It is where we begin to understand at a granular level the correct frequency, duration, and intensity of each action, and how it will affect the performance outcome we want to achieve.
If you are not taking correct action, with the right intensity, duration, and frequency, chances are you are not moving toward your goal, and you are certainly not building your capacity to reach your goal.
Blisters are evidence of our body building capacity. Think of it as a “break-down” that results in a “break-through” or a learning moment that has the potential to make us both physically and mentally stronger. This learning allows you to make the necessary course corrections with your actions to achieve a better result.
Blisters form when you take on something new, something outside your comfort zone. They happen when you take on a risk or you step into a place of uncertainty. It is when you take action with intensity and for a duration where you break down barriers and expose weaknesses. This provides the learning that, when realized and applied to future actions, becomes a wisdom.
You may have realized now that a “blister” can be a metaphor for all forms of pain, physical and/or emotional.
I continually remind myself, in times of my own struggle or pain, of the Winston Churchill quote, “When you’re going through hell (i.e. pain), keep going!” In other words, keep taking action, don’t stay stuck in one place. The only time that you should delay your efforts, is to recover so that you can continue to move forward.
The magic here is for you to continue taking action until you find that place where you enter into a progressive journey of growth, where you experience discomfort and potentially pain, and you continue to adjust your actions so that you maintain the right level of discomfort that increasingly builds your capacity to move you towards your goal.
So… “Get in the GAME!!”
This is the first step in game theory. The second step is to recognize that you can only measure performance when you are playing in the game; and by playing I mean taking action and having fun, even when it is a struggle. Comfort in the knowing that you are growing and building your personal capacity for great things.
It’s Game Time
I invite you to contact us for a consultation and allow us to coach and mentor you into the game that you want to strive and thrive at.
Take action, and act now… ‘Contact’
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