Have you ever found yourself ruminating over a casual critique that unexpectedly prompted you to reflect on your efforts?
This was my reality last night as my brother tossed these words my way again, sending me into an emotional tailspin.
“You Like Being Comfortable.”
Comfortable?! For hours, I stewed over why such a remark got under my skin and the multiple ways it simply wasn’t true. I've tackled life in three different countries, worked in 25 different places, voluntarily left a stable job while overseas, ventured into freelancing, and bounced back from major surgery and the trials of chemotherapy. And yet, he claims I enjoy being comfortable?!
His conception of “comfortable” is fundamentally flawed, at least when applied to me. He frames it through an American lens, equating relentless grind with breaking out of one's comfort zone.
The American hustle of pushing oneself to the brink is a badge of honor. For me, that isn’t valor; it’s folly. I’m exercising patience, carefully selecting environments—from geographical to psychological—that merit my peace of mind.
He also overlooks our fundamental differences. As a woman, I value stability and security—it’s intrinsic. I’m not interested in reckless pressures or pointless competitions of ego.
This whole debate stemmed from a panic over my ‘big fish’ client potentially replacing me after discovering his collaborator pays his virtual assistant half what I earn for full-time work.
As he’s my 'whale,' I dedicate most of my attention to managing his administrative tasks and mental clutter, enhancing his capacity to excel at what he does best.
Although I have other smaller clients, their combined fees don’t come close to what I earn from this major account.
It was at this point my brother pointed out, “You like being comfortable,” implying that my reluctance to hustle for more clients suggests a preference for staying within my comfort zone.
This prompted an internal debate: how can I become more valuable? How do I increase my market value to make more money without killing myself? Is that increasing my bandwidth, creating more time, or learning a new skill?
Down the rabbit hole I went, exploring high-income skills predicted to be in demand by 2025, absorbing countless videos and blogs. Then, a memory surfaced: an inspirational reel featuring motivational speaker Jesse Itzler discussing “The Rule of 100”.
The rule goes that if you spend 100 hours in a year - which is 18 minutes a day - in any discipline you’ll be better than 95% of the world in that discipline. “It’s the consistency of whatever you do more than anything else.”
Tormented by the “comfort” comment at 3:00 am, I decided to identify areas to dedicate my 18 minutes daily. Among the numerous YouTube videos I watched, Sales, Marketing, and Communication were recurrent themes. Despite their relevance, I just hadn’t focused on them enough.
Reflecting on a video I saved of Patrick Bet-David Explains Why He Got Wealthy & How You Can Too, I considered his extensive reading habits and how all the other successful entrepreneurs I follow spend a lot of time developing their brains.
Even my big fish client is a huge reader; so much so that I created a reading list from books he’s mentioned during his sales meetings as possible Christmas gifts I can buy for his sales reps.
This reinforced my decision: Reading is a must in my 18 minutes a day for The Rule of 100. I knew there was a reason why that Audible promo deal was still sitting in my email box.
Settling into sleep, I identified two specific 18-minutes-a-day focuses, suspecting a third would soon emerge. By morning, it had.
This time next year, my level of knowledge will outwit the majority pushing me forward into the top percentile. I’m starting slow, aiming to establish solid habits that will gather momentum over time.
Here are the three practices I’m going to cultivate over the next year:
🎧 READING: Enhancing comprehension by simultaneously listening to audiobooks and reading the hard copies.
✍🏻 WRITING: Documenting thoughts, daily reflections, and ideas to articulate my thoughts more clearly.
🗣️ LANGUAGE LEARNING: Thoroughly absorbing Greek by reading aloud and immersing in daily conversations with locals, grasping the language's context and nuances.
I'm not just pleased with these selections; I'm thrilled about the purpose they represent, the mental growth they promise, and the professional doors they might open because what really makes me happy is progress.
As Patrick Bet-David of Valuetainment says and fully stands by: “The market rewards people who outwork and out improve. It’s proven!”
So, I’m okay being “comfortable” because I’m not in a rush. I'm not racing against anyone but myself. I know where I’m going, I know I’m on the right track.
To those quick to judge or label my pursuit of stability as mere comfort-seeking, I say: enjoy the show.
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