During my sophomore year in college, an upperclassman told me about a rule that he tries to follow—the 20-second rule. The idea is that for 20 seconds every day, he would try to do something that was wildly out of his comfort zone. It might be approaching a really famous speaker on campus or having a meal at a restaurant by yourself. (My personal favorite? Starting your shower with freezing cold water. It’s easy, something that you can do repeatedly, and you can start tomorrow.)
I’ve found it to be a powerful framework to train ourselves to be comfortable with discomfort. It makes us more disciplined and courageous. We are more likely to be able to build habits and make the right decisions, without the fear of discomfort.