Are You Ready to Be Intentional and Uncomfortable?

Something I’ve been learning is this: in life, if there’s something you really want, you have to be intentional about it.

The reality is, we can want a better financial position, healthy friendships, or a more stable and progressive career. But wanting isn’t enough. We have to be intentional.

To be intentional often requires discomfort.

When you hear “be intentional,” you might think, “But I’m already doing x, y, and z.” Here’s the thing: if x, y, and z are in your comfort zone and still giving you the same results, you need to be intentional about changing how you do x, y, and z.

For example: Let’s say someone feels stagnant in a particular area of their life. They speak to a friend about it briefly. They come across content that motivates them occasionally. But they refuse to work with a coach. Why? Because it feels uncomfortable. They don’t want it to seem as though they couldn’t figure it out on their own.

Even though the purpose of working with a coach is for the client to discover the answers for themselves.

In a coaching relationship the client is the expert at being themselves and living their life. The coach’s job is to bring what’s already in the client to the surface, so they can see it and make decisions that align with what they want.

Now, this does not mean we will always need direct support from others. We can identify the tools that enable us to navigate our own lives well. However, this idea that we should never get support along our journey can be limiting if we want to excel.

Getting support doesn’t mean becoming dependent. It means knowing when to figure things out independently and knowing when to put support in place for a season to help us make progress.

Let me describe how we sound when we look at someone else’s achievements without knowing their journey:

From the outside, it may look like they achieved their goals by themselves — no encouragement, no prayer, no accountability, no course, no business plan, no coach, no mentor, no advice from family, friends, or colleagues. They just “figured it all out by themselves.”

However, you’re not aware of the support they may have received along their journey. Or how they built an internal and external environment that enabled them to thrive. What hurdles they navigated. What opinions they overcame. What limitations they conquered.

Support isn’t always directly asking someone, to help you. It could be buying the book, attending the event, booking onto the programme. The key is being willing to be a bit uncomfortable to get to where you want to be.

So why do we have to be uncomfortable?

Often, discomfort is part of the growing process because our next level is unfamiliar to us. We have to recognise when we’ve outgrown mindsets, environments and ways of doing things that used to nourish us.

For example: Let’s say we have a friend named Lisa (fictitious) who has completed her master’s degree. Lisa now has the qualifications to go for the jobs she wants, but she enjoyed being a student and the job market feels challenging. So she decides not to use her qualification — instead, she keeps studying her master’s content over and over again.

As Lisa’s friends, we’d be able to see that she’s out of position. She’s not where she’s supposed to be. Lisa is choosing what feels comfortable for her, rather than what she’s capable of achieving. Why? Because the next step seems difficult and uncomfortable. She’s avoiding discomfort at the expense of her own growth.

Now, I know we wouldn’t complete a degree and choose not to use it, then study the same content again and again because it’s comfortable. However, I do think many of us have been guilty of continuing with certain ways of thinking and staying in environments that no longer help us grow because they were comfortable.

To see progress, we have to be willing to try something different.

That doesn’t mean you’ll always get what you want instantly. Some people may reach their goal very quickly. Others may take a bit longer. The timing of success isn’t something we can always determine — and that’s okay. We should still aim for what we want and prepare for it.

Time spent trying something different isn’t wasted time. It’s growing time. It’s preparation. During the growth and preparation process, we should be intentional about learning and applying what we’re learning.

It’s not about how fast you get there. It’s about the value you add when you arrive.

It’s about the mindset you’re developing. The healthy habits and relationships you’re forming. The skills and knowledge you’re gaining. The confidence you’re cultivating. The conversations you’re having. The places you’re exploring. The people you’re helping. The solutions you’re creating.

Once you press through the discomfort, you start experiencing the rewards. It then becomes something you’re more willing to run toward rather than run away from, because you recognise the benefits: it builds you while removing what was stifling your growth.

So sis, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Am I choosing what keeps me comfortable, or am I choosing my growth?

• What can I be intentional about that will bring me closer to where I want to be?

• Am I ready to try something different without compromising my priorities and values?

The fact that you’ve decided to read this post shows me that you’re driven and that personal growth is on your mind. If you’d like some help figuring out your next step, I’d be honoured to support you.

Rooting for you, sis! 💛

Chaunté Campbell

Founder of She Shines UK & Women’s Life Coach

Loved this? Here’s what’s next:

📅 Group Life Coaching — First Session Starts on the 27th May!

Live coaching sessions with a small group of women doing exactly this work: choosing growth over comfort. Community, accountability, real tools. Save your spot → Register here

🤝 1:1 Life Coaching:

Personalised support to get clear on your next move and move through the discomfort. Limited spots open each month → Express your interest here

Have questions? Email info@sheshinesuk.com and I’ll send you the details personally.