by Joe Domaleski | Apr 4, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Happy Spring, everyone! As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s a great time to revitalize your business and give it a fresh start. The first quarter of the year is over, and it’s likely that you have a good grasp of what’s working and what’s not working in your business. Springtime is a perfect time to deep clean and revitalize your business.
Spring is literally and figuratively a season of growth, renewal, and change. It’s also a season central to many religious and cultural holidays and festivals. The concept of “spring cleaning” has its origins in Jewish Passover customs. Spring is also closely aligned with Christian Lent and Easter traditions. Historically speaking, spring cleaning was a way to deep clean homes from soot and grime left over from heating after a long winter.
I don’t know about you, but I feel more energized by the warmer spring temperatures and increased sunlight. While humans may not hibernate in the winter like bears, we do tend to be more sluggish. Spring tends to energize people, which can positively impact a business through greater productivity and sales. In our business, we’ve always used the springtime to announce new services, promote employees, and launch new marketing initiatives.
Here are some tips for deep cleaning and revitalizing your business this spring:
- Review your goals and objectives: Take a look at the goals and objectives you set for your business at the beginning of the year. Have you made progress towards achieving them? If not, it may be time to reevaluate and make adjustments. Consider setting new goals or revising your existing ones to ensure they are aligned with the current state of your business. Get rid of those things that are not working and lean into the things that are. We’re doing that right now in our business by examining our service offerings and organizational structure.
- Refresh your marketing: Your brand is the face of your business. Consider refreshing it to attract new customers and stand out in a crowded market. This can include updating your logo, website design, and marketing materials. Ensure that your branding reflects your business’s mission, values, and personality. Spring normally causes an uptick in consumer demand with increased spending. Take advantage of the seasonal uptick. In my business, we’re refreshing our marketing by announcing some new marketing campaigns that are closely aligned with the spring season.
- Engage with your customers: Spring is a great time to reconnect with your customers. Consider reaching out to them through email marketing, social media, or in-person events. Engage with them by offering special promotions, asking for feedback, or hosting a customer appreciation event. This can help build loyalty and strengthen relationships with your customers. We recently did a spring “Country Fried Cookies” promotion in which we delivered homemade cookies to our customers.
- Invest in your team: Your team is the backbone of your business. Consider investing in their growth and development. Offer training or educational opportunities, provide opportunities for team-building, or offer incentives for meeting or exceeding performance goals. This can help increase employee satisfaction, retention, and overall productivity. Our company recently announced an initiative for employees to pursue updated industry certifications. I believe in leading by example, so if you look at my LinkedIn page (feel free to connect with me), you’ll notice some updated certifications. Learning new things and updating my own knowledge base is essential.
- Focus on health and well-being – Spring is not just a time for increased activity, but it should also be a time of rest and reflection. A spring break is just as important as spring cleaning. Taking a break from work can help reduce stress, improve mental health, and provide opportunities for personal renewal. Even if you don’t take a structured vacation, just getting outside can help recharge your energy levels. When the weather is nice, I’ll often take my office outside. If you’re on the phone with me and hear birds in the background – you’ll know my office is outside for the day.
Springtime affords a special time to deep clean and revitalize your business. Leaders, if you needed a sign to get started, then look outside and get motivated! Become a solar-powered business dynamo by reviewing your goals, refreshing your marketing, engaging with customers, investing in your team, and focusing on health. Doing so can help give your business a fresh start and set it up for growth and success for the remainder of the year. Use that springtime burst of motivation to your advantage.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
by Joe Domaleski | Mar 28, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Recently, I was asked to share some of the things I did to start and grow a successful company that is now celebrating its 20th year in business. Without hesitation, I said that the ability to network and make in-person connections in the local community may be the single most important contributing factor to our success.
When we started the business in 2003, I sought the advice of others. A mentor of mine gave me two pieces of advice to help jumpstart my entrepreneurial efforts – join the Chamber of Commerce and volunteer with a non-profit or civic group. I did both, and I’m glad that I did. If your business or non-profit organization supports, serves, hires, solicits, or sells locally, then it’s essential that you know who’s in the community, and that they know who you are.
Networking allows you to meet like-minded people, identify those who can help you, find people you can help, and is one of the best ways to maintain a connection to what’s what and who’s who in the local community. Because of its size and sense of community, Fayette County is a great place to network and make connections.
Social media really didn’t exist as we know it in 2003, so most of my networking was, and continues to be, in person. I think the ability to stay connected via social media is a great way to maintain relationships once established. On the other hand, there’s nothing like making connections and friends in person.
I’ve been told that I seem to know everyone, and it’s true that I enjoy meeting new people. What follows is a laundry list of tips I’ve accumulated over the years that may help you network and make connections:
- Remember to be genuine and authentic; people can “sense” a fake. Your goal is to help others – “what goes around comes around.”
- Participate in activities/groups that are conducive to finding the networking opportunities you seek. Some groups are focused on learning, making contacts, service work, etc.
- Find groups that work like you work – are people supportive of one another? What is the tone and temperament of the group?
- Ask open-ended questions in conversations. Learn the who, what, where, when, and how.
- If you join an organization, be willing to serve in that organization in some capacity. It’ll keep you visible and show people you care.
- Become known as a “go-to” person that has solutions, not problems.
- Be articulate about what you do and how you can help others. Be just as articulate when you ask others to help you. How can they help you?
- Have a clear vision of what you do, for whom, and why. What makes what you do different from others?
- Always follow up quickly and efficiently. Respect others’ time.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for a favor.
- Use connections you already have – clubs, organizations, neighbors, family, friends, Church, alumni associations, sports groups, etc.
- Take advantage of local networking events – Chamber of Commerce, business events, presentations, mixers, socials, etc.
- Image is everything! Make a positive impression – appearances do count. Conduct yourself with stature and authority, without being pompous.
- Know when to end a networking discussion. Nobody likes a conversation that drags on past the point of effectiveness. Don’t be afraid to end the conversation when the time is right.
- Be visible.
- Always give a card and get a card. Write notes on the back of the cards you get.
- Have fun; it’s contagious!
That last point is the most important one – have fun. The purpose of networking is to meet people, not make sales or get donations. If you meet enough people, relationships will naturally form, and that’s the way it should work. I know that some of you are introverted and don’t necessarily enjoy large groups of people. That’s perfectly fine; be authentic and meet people in a manner that’s more suited to you.
I’d like to give a shout-out to my friend Colin Martin, who has served as President and CEO of the Fayette Chamber for the past four and a half years. He’s an incredible networker, and our community is a better place because of his leadership and efforts to help people make connections. Unfortunately, Colin is leaving the Chamber at the end of this month to be closer to his family in Columbus, GA. Thanks for all you’ve done for our community, Colin.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
by Joe Domaleski | Mar 21, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Last Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, the one day of the year when we all wear green and contemplate such profound topics as “luck.” But how does one cultivate luck in business? It’s a great question that has a pretty straightforward answer rooted in history. The Latin phrase “audentes fortuna iuvat” is most commonly translated as “fortune favors the bold.” Some say it was first uttered by the historical figure Pliny the Elder as he attempted to rescue people from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Other accounts attribute the phrase to the ancient Roman poet Virgil’s Aeneid, where the phrase is translated as “fortune helps those who dare.”
Regardless of its actual origin, the phrase is a well-known proverb that has been used for centuries to inspire and motivate people to take risks and seize opportunities. It implies that those who are bold and fearless in their actions will be rewarded with good fortune, while those who are too hesitant and cautious will miss out on opportunities for success. This concept is particularly applicable in business leadership, where taking bold and strategic risks can lead to substantial rewards.
In today’s competitive business landscape, leadership (and entrepreneurship in particular) requires a bold and strategic mindset. Leaders must be willing to take risks, challenge the status quo, and pursue innovative ideas in order to succeed. The most successful entrepreneurs are those who are willing to step outside their comfort zone and take bold actions that may be unpopular or unconventional.
Here are some examples of bold leadership in business:
- Taking calculated risks: Business leaders who take calculated risks, based on thorough research and analysis, can make bold decisions that can lead to substantial rewards. They should be willing to take risks that have the potential to create positive change and growth for their organization.
- Embracing innovation: Bold business leaders embrace innovation and are always looking for new and creative ways to improve their products, services, and processes. They are willing to challenge the status quo and disrupt traditional ways of doing things to stay ahead of the competition.
- Setting ambitious goals: Business leaders who set ambitious goals for themselves and their team inspire a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. They are not afraid to set goals that may seem unattainable at first, but work tirelessly to achieve them.
- Empowering their team: Bold leaders empower their team to take ownership of their work and make decisions that can drive the organization forward. They foster an environment of trust, collaboration, and open communication, allowing their team members to contribute to the organization’s success.
- Making tough decisions: Sometimes, making bold decisions requires making tough choices. Bold leaders are not afraid to make difficult decisions, even if they are unpopular or challenging. They are decisive, and they do not hesitate to take action when necessary.
While bold leadership can lead to significant rewards and success, it can also have potential downsides. Some of the downsides of bold leadership in business include:
- Increased risk: Bold leadership often involves taking calculated risks, but these risks can also carry potential downsides. The more significant the risks, the more potential there is for failure, financial loss, or damage to the company’s reputation.
- Resistance to change: Bold leadership can involve shaking up established ways of doing things, which can be challenging for some team members. Resistance to change can lead to conflicts, lack of buy-in, and delays in implementing new strategies.
- Overconfidence: Bold leaders can become overconfident in their abilities or the potential success of their strategies, which can lead to blind spots and missed opportunities. Overconfidence can also lead to neglecting critical details or failing to consider all relevant factors when making decisions.
- Burnout: Bold leaders often work tirelessly to achieve their goals, which can lead to burnout and reduced productivity over time. If the leader is not careful to maintain their own physical and mental health, they can become less effective in their role.
- Lack of stability: Bold leadership can create a fast-paced, dynamic environment, but it can also lead to instability if too many changes are made too quickly. This can result in a lack of consistency or continuity in the company’s operations, which can make it challenging for team members and stakeholders to keep up.
Overall, bold leadership requires a combination of vision, risk-taking, and action. The phrase “fortune favors the bold” is a timeless concept that remains relevant to the modern business leader. Taking bold risks and pursuing innovative ideas can lead to substantial rewards, but it requires careful planning and strategic thinking to ensure success. Aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders should embrace this concept and be willing to take calculated risks in order to achieve success and make a lasting impact in their industry.
Do you want to create more luck for your business? Be a bold leader.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
by Joe Domaleski | Mar 14, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Managing an organization, team, or project almost always involves a fair number of details to consider and decisions to make. Whether you’re managing people or providing prompts to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot, it’s important to provide the right level of detail. Details matter. If you don’t have enough details, then there won’t be enough guidance to direct efforts to a desired result. If you have too many details, you may overload people and processes with complexity that prevents effective action.
Granularity refers to the size and scale of detail present in a set of data, instructions, or information. As the name suggests, granularity can be thought of like grains of sand. If you zoom in too close while on a beach, all you will see are individual grains of sand without knowing you’re on a beach. If you zoom out too far, you may think you’re looking at a beach but won’t be able to see the individual grains to know it’s sand. The ability to zoom in and out as needed is an important skill for any leader. Information overload, sometimes called “infobesity”, “infoxication”, or “information anxiety”, is a real problem in today’s modern society.
So, how much detail is enough detail? The short answer to that question is enough to get the job done, but not so much that it stifles creativity.
Here are some of the dangers of excessive detail a.k.a “Too Much Information (TMI)”:
- Cognitive overload (brain fog) that creates anxiety and a depletion of willpower.
- Processing overhead in which time and money resources are spent developing and managing details that don’t create value.
- Reduction in agility to handle the unexpected.
- Big picture “blurring” that obscures the meaning and purpose of activities.
- Level of detail (LOD) bias in which someone erroneously assumes a greater level of detail means a greater overall value of those details.
- Errors of omission in which non-essential data is described in too much detail at the expense of missing another more critical piece of information.
- Winning the battle, but losing the war (“hollow victory”) in which all details are properly managed, but the overall goal is not attained.
If you’re a leader, I’m sure that last bullet point rings true: “We followed all of the instructions completely, but we still didn’t reach our goal” or “We did everything you told us, but it still didn’t work and it’s not our fault.”
The problems of not enough detail (ambiguity) are just as bad as too much detail. Here are some problems with ambiguity:
- Poor time management to spend the right amount of time on important things.
- Missing essential steps or tasks that prevent project completion.
- Underfunding an endeavor because important details were not known.
- Accountability issues when people didn’t know about something, so they don’t feel accountable for them.
- “Blame game” when a person asserts that someone should have known about a detail even though it wasn’t specifically identified.
- Exposing a project to unnecessary risk because all pertinent issues weren’t fully considered.
- Lack of stakeholder support to start or finish something because there’s not enough detail to know what’s going on.
In computer science, GIGO means “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. It refers to the concept of flawed or incomplete inputs that lead to erroneous or problematic outputs. In like manner, the quality and quantity of inputs to a project team will directly affect the overall success of a project.
Let’s reconsider the initial question posed in this article, “how much detail is enough detail,” with a more complete answer. Here are some ways to ensure that you have the right amount of granularity and level of detail in your data points, project plans, and other information.
- Always identify the purpose (or goal, vision, desired state, expected outcome) of a set of details. It’s essential for people to know what’s being described and why. It still amazes me that some people jump straight to the details without a clear purpose for the meaning of those details. Details must be associated with some worthwhile purpose or aim, or else they are meaningless (by definition).
- Ensure that all deliverables are clearly identified. A deliverable is a tangible good or service that’s to be provided as part of a project. All stakeholders to a set of tasks need to know what is going to be produced by those tasks, such as reports, plans, documents, graphics, online systems, and so forth. Knowing what’s being created is an essential detail.
- Identify all essential tasks or data points. It’s more important to at least identify the critical parts of a system than it is to get bogged down into too many details about each part. A missing step that prevents project completion is a fatal flaw, whereas the omission of a minor detail may not impact the project at all. Cover all the bases.
- Provide additional details about things that matter or are likely to be the source of confusion. If you know that something is likely to need additional explanation, then go ahead and describe it in more detail than you would other things. Some things are self-explanatory, but many things aren’t. Understanding context, size, scope, shape, configuration, and other qualities will help in creating mutual understanding.
- Leave off optional or non-essential details that are “nice to know” but not “need to know.” I’ve been personally guilty of providing too much detail about trivial items. Each level of detail adds to overall system complexity and the ensuing “brain fog.” If it’s non-essential, then leave it out.
- Match the right level of detail to the right people and tasks. Some people crave details. Some people don’t want to be bothered by details. Details matter, but the amount of granularity should be tailored to the target audience. Be forewarned, some people don’t want to be bothered by details until the end of a project, and then they begin to get interested. When in doubt, document the details as they may come in handy later.
- Where possible, quantify details numerically with a specific number or a range of numbers to answer the question, “how much” or “when.”
- When needed, qualify details with information that provides clarity about its distinguishing features or essential parts.
- Understand the cost of information and adjust accordingly. The value of information and details should exceed the cost to obtain them. If it takes $100 to identify a detail that’s only worth $1, then you’ve lost money. Be aware of information costs.
- State all assumptions that are made when there’s a lack of clarity in essential information. Oftentimes, I’m asked to prepare a project proposal, but a prospective client won’t tell me the budget. It’s impossible to create a plan without a budget, so I have to state my budgetary assumptions based on experience and industry averages. Stating assumptions provides a basis for decision-making in the absence of specific guidance.
- Finally, apply the test of a “reasonable person” to your level of detail. Would a reasonable person examine your level of detail and have enough information to make an informed decision or complete the tasks?
I love this quote about details:
It’s human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it’s the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.
Coach nick saban
The ability to provide the right amount of granularity (level of detail) is an important skill in managing resources, projects, and people. Being detail-oriented ensures that enough is known about the particulars of something to reach a worthwhile goal. If you have too many details, then information overload and ‘brain fog’ sets in. A failure in having enough detail could put a project or conclusion at risk. Set your team up for success by making sure you have enough detail to get the job done, but not so much that it stifles creativity.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
by Joe Domaleski | Mar 7, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Cutting off someone’s service due to non-payment is one of those rarely needed, but often necessary business tasks and I really don’t enjoy it. This is not a skill they teach you in business school, nor is it something that I can easily delegate to someone else as the CEO of a small business. Frankly, it’s a means of last resort to get the customer’s attention and/or cut our business losses on services already rendered. I’m by no means perfect, but I do trust people. When someone signs a contract with our company, I assume they are going to fulfill their part which entails an exchange of consideration (something of value) – money. Although I’ve had formal training in business law, I’m not a lawyer so we won’t explore the legal issues of contracts in this article.
Recently I had to turn off the website of a local construction company. Despite a written contract, a paper trail of written correspondence, and phone notes with their office manager – nothing got their attention. Even though I wasn’t legally obligated to do so, as a means of last resort I sent a formal letter in the US Mail at the end of last year. I got no response. Not wanting to start the year off on a bad footing, I decided to take no action in January. We turned off the website in mid-February. It took the client about a week to figure out their site had been turned off.
The office manager reached out to us via phone thinking it was a technical issue. I handled the issue personally to let her know it was a disconnection due to non-payment. I politely reminded her of our past discussions and emails, which she acknowledged and said, “I’ll speak to the owners.” I told her that I’d send another email with specific terms for turning back on the website. What happened next caught me off guard.
When I eventually spoke with the owner on the phone, he completely transferred the blame to me. I won’t go over the entire 30-minute phone conversation, but the essence of it was that it was my fault. He admitted not reading the contract and even forgot he had a copy of it (despite me sending him one before the call). With a straight face, he pretty much told me that he didn’t have time for emails or to talk on the phone (he was the one who called me) – he just needed his website up. I told him we could have his site back up in 10 minutes if he agreed to the terms of restoration – which was paying for the services we had already provided. He balked at that saying it was my fault that I didn’t try to invoice him and collect earlier. Huh? We had invoiced him several times via email and through the mail. The call quickly devolved from there as he began to use foul language. I did raise my voice a little when that happened, although neither party yelled. So let me get this straight – he forgets about his contract, ignores all forms of communication from us, we turn off his website, and now it’s my fault. Yeah, right.
Last year, a similar thing happened with a prominent local attorney. When the attorney alleged that he had not been properly notified about his past-due invoices, I sent him a screenshot of a text message he sent me indicating that he was aware of the situation. The truth hurts. The attorney did not like the screenshot and the dialog quickly ended. Over the years I’ve learned to keep good records and notes.
One of my most interesting disconnections was for a long-standing client of mine who was engaged in engineering consulting. When economic times were good, he was one of my best clients. Due to some misfortunes in his business (we all have them), he lost some key employees and fell upon hard times. Thinking that our services were non-essential, he stopped paying us. I reached out to him offering to delay invoicing or renegotiate terms – he ignored those offers. Eventually, we disconnected his website – which caused further harm to his business. Folks, if you don’t have a website you’re invisible. I know that and it’s why I don’t like turning off websites. Every business needs a website. Eventually, my client came clean, apologized, and we negotiated mutually acceptable terms for reconnection.
Same client and it happened again this past fall. He called me on the phone requesting emergency support (while I was on vacation). I told him we could help, but that he needed to pay his past-due invoice. At this point, he was only one invoice past due. The client told me he had to get a new credit card, but that he should have it within a week and asked if I would go ahead and help him, knowing that he would pay soon. I trusted him and helped him (while on vacation – did I say that already?) We never got paid. All calls, text messages, and emails were ignored. After three months, I sent a notice of service cancellation and we disconnected his site. I still haven’t heard from him. Yes, I know the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me.” Well folks, shame on me.
Don’t get the wrong impression about the frequency of service disconnections, because this doesn’t happen often. In over 20 years of business, I’ve probably had to disconnect less than 10 customers. That’s not bad, but even one disconnection is too many. No one likes a service disconnection – whether you’re the one being disconnected or you’re the one performing the disconnection. This is especially true of essential services like utilities. I maintain that a website is an essential “utility” for a business. So what can be done about situations like this? Here are some tips learned the hard way.
- If you are the person behind in your bills, don’t ignore them. Attempt to renegotiate new payment terms. As someone who both pays out money and receives money for services, the attempt is appreciated. During the last recession, I had to swallow my pride and ask for grace on some of my financial obligations. In almost every case the other party was willing to work with me because I was willing to reach out and ask.
- If you are the person trying to collect, make sure your notes are in order. Memories get very selective when it comes to money. The other party may try to get you to prove they owe you money. This becomes even more challenging when there’s a leadership change at your client’s company and they have no idea who you are.
- Both parties should be polite. There’s no reason to utter profanities and pitch a fit. I’m shocked at how many so-called business leaders think they can act that way. It’s okay to disagree but do so professionally.
- One of the trickiest things to handle is what I call “contract drift”. This is like scope creep on a project, but related to a business relationship that has drifted away from the original terms of a contract. Drift typically happens during long-standing business relationships in which neither party feels like a new contract or contract amendment is needed to document changes. Problems normally don’t happen until bills aren’t paid or there’s a leadership change. When in doubt, at least document changes in an email for future reference.
- Keep your legal options open. If the size of the dispute is big enough, you may want legal advice. Good lawyers will advise you on when it’s right to take legal action and when you should just write off a bad deal. Not all disputes are worth fighting. I recently had to write off a large debt from a client at a national company that went out of business. I decided it wasn’t worth my time to wait in line with all of the other creditors as the courts decided how to dispose of my former client’s assets.
- Most service disconnections do not end well for either party. If it gets to that point, both parties may feel trapped and like there are no options. If you’re the one trying to collect debts, expect the client to be defensive and in denial. They may try to transfer blame to you, as my clients did above in this article.
- Some people are not rational. They do not care what’s in writing, they feel a certain way and expect you to feel that way too. “You should have known.” “That’s not fair.” “That’s not how I remembered it.” “I feel that I should have gotten such and such regardless of the contract.” You can try to sympathize without agreeing with what’s being said. Some people just want to be heard. After hearing them out, you may be surprised that they feel heard and then agree to whatever you’re proposing as a resolution.
About all else, don’t lose faith in humanity. Regardless of whether you’re the one who owes money or the one trying to collect, understand that some people are not going to work with you to resolve disputes. Let go of it. Yes, you’re feeling aggrieved, but realize not everyone is evil. Most people are good and trustworthy. Keep the moral high ground and move on. There’s a right way to end business relationships – always try to do the right thing.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
by Joe Domaleski | Feb 28, 2023 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion
Over the weekend I had the unique opportunity to endure two periods of physical discomfort by choice. The first opportunity was the GORUCK Trailblazer event at Piedmont Park. Over a period of four hours, a group of 27 of us (including my wife) endured the physical discomfort of carrying weighted backpacks, sandbags, and each other up and down the hills of Piedmont Park. We even paid for the privilege of doing that. The very next morning, my wife Mary Catherine, daughter Alex, and I ran the Publix Atlanta Half-marathon (13.1 miles) around east Atlanta. Needless to say, I am physically tired as I write this article.
GORUCK Trailblazer event on 2/25/2023 – Joe Domaleski does a one-man fireman’s carry of his wife Mary Catherine up a hill at Piedmont Park as GORUCK Cadre JC Jordan looks on. Photo/Joe Domaleski
Why would I or anyone else do such things? We each have our own reasons to either embrace discomfort or avoid it. In this article, I intend to explore the reasons why I think getting comfortable with being uncomfortable will make you strong and resilient. For those of you who already know what I’m talking about, perhaps this article will validate your feelings on the matter. For those of you who avoid discomfort, I’m hoping you’ll reconsider your position and see how discomfort can become your superpower for future growth and resiliency. In a previous article, I wrote about how to bounce back from a setback. This article expounds upon the fourth point I made in that article.
Disclaimer – I am not a doctor of anything. If your discomfort is severe, then seek professional help: a psychologist, medical doctor, therapist, etc. What we’re exploring in this article are minor discomforts that can be handled yourself.
Here are a few of the many types of discomfort one may find in life:
Emotional discomfort – is a non-physical, psychological pain that can occur as the result of grief, loss, regret, or other negative experiences. It can manifest itself physically and may be one of the most common forms of discomfort in modern-day living.
Mental discomfort – if you’re taking a test or trying to solve a problem, you may experience this type of “my brain hurts” discomfort. As we continue to offload problem-solving to computers, many of us are getting very “soft” in our ability to do even the most basic types of problem-solving.
Social discomfort – some people enjoy being with others, but many people don’t. Even if you are extroverted, some social settings can be uncomfortable such as family gatherings, business meetings, social events, and so forth. The ability to be with other people who are different than us can add to the discomfort.
Physical discomfort – almost all of us are familiar with the aches and pains of living in a human body. Some discomfort might just be a “friction point” that gently reminds you of your humanity. Other types of discomfort may require an adjustment to your lifestyle. The human body was designed to be active, yet modern living doesn’t encourage that.
Most discomfort is temporary and the ability to endure it is a big part of improving your creativity, physical strength, flexibility, and endurance. Many religious traditions promote long-suffering, which is the ability to endure troubles with patience. Society has gotten soft. People struggle carrying bags of groceries, walking around town, or holding intelligent conversations with people having different life perspectives.
Here are some reasons why I believe getting comfortable with being uncomfortable will make you strong and resilient:
- Expands your comfort zone – Practicing voluntary hardship expands your comfort zone so that you can better handle involuntary difficulties.
- Makes you physically stronger – The key training principle behind physical fitness is the ability of our bodies to adapt to progressive resistance in order to develop strength.
- Promotes your ability to recover – As you bounce back from discomfort, your body (mental, physical, emotional) develops new ways of coping.
- Increases your knowledge – Trying and learning new things increases your awareness of the world around you. This can increase your knowledge and frame of reference for handling unanticipated new situations.
- Helps you realize your true potential – I love this quote by David Goggins (Navy SEAL and author of You Can’t Hurt Me, “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
- Increases your odds of survival – Whether you’re starting a new business or dealing with a tough life situation, the ability to handle the small bumps in life will better prepare you for the real challenges of life.
Here are some ways you can deliberately get comfortable with the uncomfortable in everyday living:
- Pick up heavy things – don’t hurt yourself, but realize that your body was made to move and carry things.
- Walk/hike/run – Park your car away from a building entrance and walk! There’s nothing more pitiful than a “reserved” parking spot for business leaders that are close to a building. Unless you’re a first responder with a need to quickly enter/exit a building, then save those up-close parking spots for people who need them.
- Take the stairs – given the choice between an elevator or stairs, take the stairs.
- Solve puzzles – this will help build brain power using puzzles like logic problems, crossword puzzles, sudoku, or even jigsaw puzzles.
- Read – yes, good old-fashioned long-form books and articles. Don’t let your only reading material be internet memes. Purposely read books that have a point-of-view different than your own.
- Pray/Meditate/Contemplate – be quiet and clear your mind. You’ll be surprised at how uncomfortable you might be sitting in silence. Learn how to endure the chatter of your mind to better focus on one thing or nothing at all!
- Go on adventures – Whether it’s a vacation or a day trip, go to places you’ve never been before and try new things. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable in new places.
- Get out of bed – I know the power of a good nap and enjoy an occasional sleep-in, but resist the temptation to stay under the sheets and miss out on all that life has to offer.
- Clean up your yard – Instead of hiring someone to take care of your yard, try doing as much as you can yourself.
- Make amends to another person – Be the peacemaker and fix a broken relationship.
- Break out of the routine – There are many benefits to following a routine, but it can also dull your ability to handle the unpredictable. Be spontaneous and do something different that’s not part of a routine.
As a society, we’ve gotten soft. We’ve lost the ability to walk upstairs, solve problems, carry things, make tough decisions, and deal with people. Become stronger and more resilient by deliberately seeking opportunities for temporary discomfort. What are some ways you can add a little bit of voluntary discomfort in your life in order to become a better person?
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]
