The Year of Uncomfortability

_{Why Growth Lives Outside Comfort
By, David Hall}

We’re a month into 2026 and it feels like I’ve been in it for the blink of an eye. I’ve tried writing this entry five times, unsuccessfully. My mind goes in so many different directions and when I’m done, I’m left with a jumble of chaos.

This time I sit down, mind still adrift, but I’ve had a month to learn what matters to me as I move into the new year. So often we hear, “New year, new me,” as if we have the potential, with the stroke of the clock, to become a new person. Entering the new year, I am well aware that I am the same me as I was in 2025… In some ways I’m ok with that. In some ways I’m not.

The last few years I’ve come up with a yearly motto to guide me and help me make decisions. This year’s motto is “The year of uncomfortability.”  Last month I was reminded of a quote by comedian Jimmy Carr, “The life you want is on the other side of the work you are avoiding.” I learned this earlier on, but hadn’t heard it contextualized so eloquently.  

I began my career in real estate after quitting my job at AT&T in 2015. I had no money saved up and had to supplement my income by driving for Lyft 10-12 hours a day at least six days a week. I would drive from 5:00 am until 10:00 am then work on my business in the afternoons. If I had no appointments in the evening, which was often the case, I would go back out and drive from 2:00 pm until 7:00 or 8:00 pm. For two years, this was my day-to-day until I was able to build anything that resembled a consistent business. I pushed myself harder and for more hours than I ever had. I was able to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, during the COVID lockdown this ability began to atrophy as we were forced to stay home. My time was filled binging Tiger King, Making a Murder, the Marvel movies in chronological order (not release order), drinking at normally unacceptable hours and doing puzzles. Granted, this only lasted a short while before I realized I simply couldn’t continue in this manner.

After the degenerate phase of COVID, I quickly retooled my life and my habits. I began waking up before the sun, exercising regularly, reading daily and journaling. All of which are habits that are still a big part of my life. I even lost 50+ pounds, all of which I have gained back. Why? Because I got reacquainted with being comfortable.  I learned how to enjoy life at home. I found the love of my life who I love hanging out with. I moved to a new city. We have a beautiful, comfy home in nature, that I LOVE being at. We have a relatively simple life that we both really enjoy. I lost sight of how much fulfillment and peace of mind I get out of pushing myself and doing the work that makes me uncomfortable. 

I’ve realized that life moves very much like a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other. And like a pendulum balance only exists in the middle, where it moves the fastest and spends the least amount of time. Over the last four years I’ve enjoyed the time on the side of building a strong relationship, home projects, traveling and family time, but I feel my pendulum has swung back to the other side. 

With that in mind, I am rededicating myself to the work that I’ve been avoiding, into the work that makes me uncomfortable. This includes writing and sharing my thoughts with the people so inclined to read them, filming content with my face and voice in it, editing said content, and calling people even though I feel like I’m bothering them or won’t know what to say when they pick up. This includes having the difficult conversations and making decisions not based on how they would make me feel right now, but on how they will impact me and my family 10 years from now. 

As I embrace “the year of uncomfortability,” I’m looking forward to operating at a higher frequency with more precision and consistency. I’m looking forward to reconnecting, strengthening relationships and creating new ones. Thank you for your trust and continued support. It’s hard to put into words how much your referrals and return business means to me. 

Happy New Year.