Small leads to big
Subtle novelty sustainably unlocks new opportunities
We all have heard the advice that we benefit from “getting out of our comfort zone.” We do benefit from it, and anyone looking to achieve a goal will need to at some point; however, this advice has always seemed incomplete, posing more questions than it answers:
What happens after you get out of your comfort zone, do you stay uncomfortable?
Once you’re uncomfortable, how long should that last?
Should you ever expect to become comfortable in this new space?
The answers to these questions are always going to differ depending on the domain someone is in. Let’s apply them to the domain of strength training, specifically in this example, improving a deadlift. After extracting the general threads out of this particular example, we’ll be able to see how subtle novelty is beneficial in any goal-seeking environment.
Q: What happens after you get out of your comfort zone, do you stay uncomfortable?
A: To some extent, yes, you will stay uncomfortable. When adding more weight or reps, each time you reach for a new number you’ll feel challenged. The critical nuance is, to make long-term progress, you should only feel challenged “just enough.” This threshold of challenged “just enough” is fluid; it’s unique to you and your fitness level, even down to the day and hour of training. Finding that level will be a game-time decision every time and getting it right comes from trial and error.
Q: Once you’re uncomfortable, how long should that last?
A: Let’s say your goal is to improve your numbers over 3 months. For the entire period, you can expect at least some part of your work to stay uncomfortable, but if you are adding the correct degree of novelty (weight, sets, and reps) into your routine, you can expect to arrive at a point where work that was difficult in week 1 becomes easy in week 10. Go too fast or add too much too soon and you risk injury and form breakdown, both of which keep you from making progress.
Q: Should you ever expect to become comfortable in this new space?
A: Let’s say we define the “new space,” or the end state of your goal as being able to deadlift 225 lbs. When setting your goal, your baseline was 135 lbs. If adding the appropriate amount of new weight, sets, and reps, (collectively defined as novelty) over 3 months led to deadlifting 275 lbs, then yes, absolutely you will feel comfortable at 225 lbs; over time, you can expect to come full circle and return to a place where things feel easy, or a “comfort zone,” where things were once uncomfortable.
Going deep on the strength training example sets the table to zoom out and generalize the learning present within. The bolded text in the answers above, taken out of their sections and strung together, sums it up:
You should only feel challenged “just enough.”
For the entire period, you can expect at least some part of your work to stay uncomfortable, but if you are adding the correct degree of novelty...
Over time, you can expect to come full circle and return to a place where things feel easy, or a “comfort zone,” where things were once uncomfortable.
This feels like the postscript to the general advice from the intro, that we benefit from “getting out of our comfort zone” - let’s complete the statement then… we do benefit from it, and anyone looking to achieve a goal will need to at some point; however, you should only feel challenged “just enough.” For the entire period, you can expect at least some part of your work to stay uncomfortable, but if you are adding the correct degree of novelty, over time, you can expect to come full circle and return to a place where things feel easy, or a “comfort zone,” where things were once uncomfortable.
Apply this mindset any time you have control over the pace of progress in a new pursuit. It could apply to your professional life if you’re trying to learn a skill or your personal life in improving the quality of your relationships. If you add just enough of what’s new, you can tolerate the required discomfort and watch your growth compound in the long run.