Thoughts, practices, experiences, interests, habits, and biohacks of Kyle Scarmardo

All posts in "breaking comfort zones"

Change Everything: Part Two

Published 4 years ago in breaking comfort zones , entrepreneurship , self-improvement

Create New Boats?

Last time I posted all kinds of change that had occurred in life very rapidly. Needless to say it took some time for the dust to settle on that one. Since then the following has happened:

Started a corporate gig
Sold a home
Left said corporate gig (life is too short to not enjoy where and who you work with and for)
Sold a car
Bought a car
Picked up another corporate gig (Nothing like working with friends and building high performance teams)
Various life struggles that I won't get into detail about

I recall a conversation with my coach mid-2015 and us discussing my goals etc. She asked if I was prepared for the challenges that would come my way, because for all the good I wanted to do, there were sure to be challenges. With conviction I said yes. I did not expect what came after, but I'm still standing and just as determined.

Going Back to Corporate

It was not in the plans, but a friend reached out and asked if I would be interested. I had not heard great things about the destination, but I figured how bad could it be. The commute would be the shortest I had ever had in my life and it was an opportunity to work with new folks and make a difference. Needless to say, life is too short to put up with some levels of bullshit. Arguably I've not been one to tolerate much in general. I put up with much more now compared to my adolescent days and have tremendous patience compared to then as well. That said, I don't suffer people for too long. I have patience, but I have my limits and again...life is too short.

The second gig has been great. Working with a great friend, having a blast, and making a difference. Find somewhere you want to be, doing work you want to do, with people you want to work with. If you're not experiencing this, then look again. Don't confuse this with being outside of your comfort zone. Don't assume shit work with shitty people is the same as you just needing to be out of your comfort zone. At the same time, dealing with this is a challenge unto itself and I don't personally deny that value comes from this kind of perseverance. That said, I'd rather challenge myself in other ways that does not involve dealing with narcissistic assholes and backbiting cultures where there's no focus on development of people.

going-back-to-work-today-the-cycle-continues-39395111

It's Worth It

Continuing down the entrepreneurial road and building a business is so fun and rewarding. Continuing to add value to the lives of others through coaching is incredibly gratifying. Doing that on a bigger scale through my partnership with great people is a blast! Continuing to have fun doing technology media with a great friend is also hard to believe. I was so introverted throughout most of my life, that I would have never thought I'd be doing something like that. On top of that we're profitable!

Change Everything: Part One

Published 6 years ago in breaking comfort zones , entrepreneurship , self-improvement

Burn the Boats!

I believe events in life happen for us not too us. Through this, if we allow it to happen, we grow tremendously and in ways we can't see until later. In 2017 I committed to taking leave from the corporate world after 16 years. Shortly after that I did the following:

started three businesses
wife started multiple endeavors and businesses
we put my oldest in college
we put my younger two children in new schools in the city (fifty minutes away with no traffic)
bought a new place in the city to get three hours of lost time a day back
sold two homes
sold one car
bought another car
various personal struggles that show up in life

Most sane people would not do this much at once, but I'm not most people. At times I'm unsure if it's a good thing, but this is how I've lived my life and things are good! I recall Adam Robinson talking about 2018 being a fulcrum year on Tim Ferris' show and I was definitely feeling that in my life mid 2018. He talks about the moments coming every so often in life and they hold a lot of opportunity. It's his opportunity that thrust me towards all of this change. Deep down I new it needed to happen, but I resisted and tried to take it "slowly" and controlled. Just like my brain would want...safe. This was not to be. To be where I wanted to be and have opportunities I wanted to create for my family, everything needed to change.

image of a chart showing rate of change and the sweet spot in the center followed by a dip in productivity to the right

Downsizing

Regarding homes, we went from one acre, 3500 square feet 5 beds and 3 baths to no yard and 2000 square feet with 4 beds and 3.5 baths. I used to not hear any road traffic and now I hear it all. My sleep is not the same, because my brain is still trying to categorize the new patterns relative to my safety. I'm mostly a country boy. I love nature, the sound of rivers, streams, oceans, the wind through the trees etc. That said, I do enjoy the city and having been in the "city-country" for ten years, I was game for a change. I'm someone that needs change in life, so I've been excited about the move. This also creates an opportunity to pursue buying a ranch, but that will have to wait. The driving situation alone is incredible regarding getting kids to school. We're getting three hours a day back, spending less on gas, tolls, and food/places to be with wifi.

This has also created an interesting opportunity for me to look at startups in the city that would allow me to bike a mile to work. If this were to play out, it would be the shortest commute of my life and is exciting. I'm at a point in my life where I value time more than working for a specific company or role. If it's close and aligns, then I could be interested.

It's Not Easy!

Regarding entrepreneurship, I love it! There's nothing like growing and earning through your own business. It's a different kind of stress, but it's certainly a motivating one that holds much more personal growth than a corporate gig (in my opinion). I relate it to others through the difference in eating the food in a village versus producing/finding the food for others in the village to eat. There's a comfort knowing food will be there when it's provided and there's no need to make drastic change in this comfort. Hunger and the responsibility to keep others alive/fed will motivate in a very different way.

image of guy from braveheart saying it's my island!

When I was young, I heard someone say "if you're not growing you're dying" and I've come to believe and experience this. Although I was growing in the corporate world, it had slowed to a rate that was holding me back. It also did not provide me the time that I wanted for myself and my family. It eventually came to a head mid 2015, and I knew I needed to get out in order to start a new story. Leaving is what I needed to focus on creating something new and to learn from the process. It's also what I needed to put me back into a state of discomfort to motivate me through the struggle. I needed to be reminded what it felt like to be without and to not have that comfort. I needed to be hungry again.