The most important moments of my life were generally pretty terrible.

Ending a toxic relationship made me nauseous for weeks. Starting a blog and YouTube channel felt way out of my comfort zone. And watching my father die in front of my eyes made me want to die with him.

These were all forks in the road; chapters of a novel where the protagonist undergoes some subtle but crucial change for the better. But though the trials suck, the reader understands that they are necessary for a great character and story. A story with no adventure or setback is not exciting at all. And so the trials continue, and through the discomfort, the development begins.

It is so easy to tend towards comfort. We live in the safest, cleanest and most abundant cities in history, and one can quite easily get by without exerting themselves much at all.

But the prerequisite for great things usually require some form of discomfort. Exercise feels crap but it improves your body. Emotional vulnerability feels crap but it improves your relationships. Hard work feels crap but it makes your work exceptional.

One of the things I’m trying to do more of this year is to lean into discomfort. To realise the things that scare me are usually opportunities for positive change. Some recent examples have included:

• Taking on a tutoring role at the medical school, even though I’m not sure if I have the time nor expertise for it;
• Volunteering to perform a cardiovascular exam in front of a group at the hospital, even though I wasn’t fully confident in the steps;
• Going out of my way to say hi to new colleagues at the hospital or gym, even though I’m naturally a severe introvert.

These little trials always give me a sense of dread in the moment, but once they’re done, I always appreciate past Eric for them. Each action is like a little soldier waving a flag saying, “Hey look! We’ve done this task you thought you couldn’t do. See – you’re more capable than you think!” And the more flags you see waving behind you, the more you begin to believe it.

As Oscar Wilde put it:
“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”

The choice is yours.