A few days ago as I was out running in my training for a half-marathon, I began thinking about why I had decided that running a half-marathon was a good idea. It is not that I don't like running but in fact I really like the act of running. No, my question I asked myself was more specific to why a certain distance (i.e. half-marathon) and why with a time goal to finish the half-marathon in. My reason for why is quite simple. I want to challenge and push myself beyond which I think that I am capable of achieving. In other words, I want seek discomfort to see all that I can achieve. Now you are probably wondering what this all has to do with engineering and I promise I will get back to that in a little bit. For now though bear with me as we take a detour into why seeking discomfort is a thing when it sounds like it is just painful.

Encapsulating this idea of seeking discomfort is the achievement of a task or goal which we previously think of as impossible. It is our own sense of limitations that hold us back from all what we are capable of. If this sounds far-fetched, think of an activity in your own life where you try to become better and better at it. One such activity for me is running as I am sure you are probably aware of by now given how this blog post started out. Each time I step out of my door and start a new run, I gain more and more confidence to perhaps run at a faster pace or for a longer distance than I have ever run before. And yes, I have good and bad days running but incrementally over weeks, months, and years I am able to run at a level I previously thought was not possible. By embracing the fact that doing something extraordinary requires all of us to feel uncomfortable the first time we are able to do the extraordinary.

As an engineer, I strive to keep improving my skills and knowledge to become an even better engineer by providing clients and users with new and old experiences within our built environment. I am thoroughly convinced that this idea of seeking discomfort works for becoming a better engineer as well as a better runner. Each project that we all as engineers work on have aspects to them where we can design something new which we have never done before or utilize a new technique to increase efficiencies. The list is endless of aspects where we can take a leap into the unknown and become better for it. And yes, it is scary to take that first step into the unknown but that first step does not have to be large. It can be the smallest of smallest steps but as long as it is uncomfortable, you will be better off for it in the long term. Furthermore, we can all make each other more comfortable seeking discomfort into acquiring new skills and knowledge by having each others backs. Allowing each other to make mistakes and learn from them will make all of us better engineers. So moving forward, one of my main goals will be to continue implementing this strategy of seeking discomfort in my running life, in my engineering career, and in my life. I hope to come across you while going on this journey of seeking discomfort as a means to improve oneself. Take care for now and hope to see you in the next blog post.