Growth Lives on the Other Side of Discomfort

I had just moved to Columbus, Ohio. And while I loved the opportunity to call a different city home after living in Milwaukee for 10 years, I realized quickly that feeling at home in a new place doesn’t happen by accident. You have to engage with it.

And I had a simple yet nagging thought: I need to do something different. Something to feel more connected to Columbus, but something that would challenge me. Something to stretch outside the comfortable cadence of my routines. And the weather was getting nicer…  Giving me an itch to get outside and explore.

As I was walking in my new neighborhood of Short North in Columbus, I popped into a running store to see what they had to offer for the sports I enjoy:  tennis, biking, and hiking. And yes, they did have more than just running shoes!  Talking with the associate working that day, the conversation turned to “Why don’t I run the Columbus 10K as a way to get to know my new city?”

I laughed at the suggestion. The idea of running 6.2 miles was daunting. But that was precisely the point. Why not do something that would connect me to my new city and push me outside of my comfort zone.

Whether you're starting a new job, facing a new challenge, starting a sales training program, or just looking to shake things up, read on to see if my journey can ignite a spark for you. Because growth doesn’t always start with a plan—sometimes it starts with a step.

Spoiler Alert: I said yes and made the decision to run.

The Commitment

It’s one thing to think about or make the decision of doing something new. It’s another thing altogether to commit. The moment I clicked “Register” felt bigger than it should’ve. Suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about running, I was doing it. There’s something powerful about making a public promise, even if it’s only to yourself. It forces clarity: Am I in, or am I out? It’s a moment of truth: you either take full ownership or start making excuses. I chose ownership. That was the first mile, before the first training run ever began.

No turning back. I was on the hook. And that’s personal accountability, commitment without loopholes or excuses.

Training Begins

I didn’t have a plan. So, I made one. My “training plan” started with putting on shoes and getting out the door. My early runs were mostly walk/jogs with a lot of internal negotiation. But each outing added familiarity to my new surroundings. I learned where the sidewalks cracked, which trees bloomed first in spring, which streets felt safe at dusk. Slowly, my runs became less about distance and more about rhythm. I didn’t need to be the fastest—I just needed to be better than yesterday. I studied. I experimented. I used ChatGPT to help me create an ideal training regimen for my current abilities to help me progress at the right pace without risking injury. I also used ChatGPT to help me build the ideal playlist for my pace. I learned when to push and when to rest.

It wasn’t about perfection. It was about progressive improvement.

There were days I crushed my run. There were days I limped through it. But every time I laced up my shoes and hit the streets of Columbus, I felt more at home. The sidewalks, the park paths, the storefronts all started to feel familiar. And every run deepened that connection. I was building a habit and a relationship with my new city.

The Dip

And then came the dip. Motivation fizzled. Work got hectic. Weather turned. Suddenly, skipping a run felt easier than lacing up. I found myself rationalizing: You’ve been busy. You deserve a break. But that’s where the danger is—those socially acceptable excuses that sound logical but silently erode our goals. The voice that says “later” rarely means it.

I had to remind myself that growth isn’t built on perfect days; it’s built on imperfect consistency.

The hardest part wasn’t the run—it was choosing to keep going when no one was watching and the finish line felt far away.

I could rationalize skipping out or I could recommit. It was my choice, in my control.

That was my test. Not the run. The choice in the face of discomfort. I had to reset my mindset, take a mental dump of the negativity, and lean back into the habits that got me started.

Race Day

It was electric! People were everywhere – warming up, finding their pace location, just a humming of energy in the air. My nerves were loud, but my preparation was louder, and I felt confident. I made it to the starting line! And I was confident, because I knew my preparation would help me cross the finish line.

As the race ended, I wasn’t the fastest. But I had heart, grit, and something to prove to myself. Each mile marker had been a personal win, and I made a lot of friends along the way in that race – others who were they for their own reasons, and those reasons connected us in a way I couldn’t have imagined or experienced otherwise.

Crossing that finish line wasn’t just about running 6.2 miles. It was about proving that growth lives on the other side of discomfort. That perseverance isn’t about grand heroic moments, but the small, unglamorous decisions to keep going. And Columbus started to feel like home, which was the ultimate goal.

The Takeaway

Running a 10K taught me that success - whether in fitness, business, or life - is built on The Four Cornerstones of Success ®:

• Attitude: It’s the beginning of everything. It shapes how you approach setbacks, growth, and opportunity.

• Personal Accountability: You are the driver. Not your circumstances. Not your excuses.

• Perseverance: Show up. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

• Habit: Success isn’t an act. It’s a system. Built one decision at a time.

And here’s the best part: you don’t need to run a 10K to learn these lessons. You just need to choose something that stretches you. Something that grounds you in the place and season you’re in.

Because on the other side of comfort is change. And change, when pursued with intention and consistency, is where growth begins. Partner with Butler Street to instill the cornerstones of success in your salespeople, leaders, recruiters, and account managers and help then reach for, achieve, and exceed their goals.

Interested in joining me for the run next year?  Here's the race link: https://www.columbus10k.com/ For info on the neighborhood of Short North, Columbus: https://shortnorth.org and more about the running store that set me on my running journey: Columbus Running Company https://columbusrunning.com/