Pushing Through Discomfort
The guys talk about the tension we all experience when we try to take steps towards healthy things for us or engaging in new challenges. We have a fight or flight moment and it’s important to stay committed and push through in those times.
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Why do we want to back out of the very things that are good for us? Mike Mobley and Chris Howard talk about the “abort mission” tension that hits right before a men’s retreat, a workout, church or a hard conversation, why nearly everyone feels it but almost no one talks about it, the difference between that tension and simply drifting into comfort, the outside and inside motivations that help us follow through, and how a simple inventory of what matters can help you push through. Below: the key takeaways, the Scripture themes that came up, and the full episode transcript.
The Moment Right Before
At a recent men’s retreat, Mike noticed something every guy in his group had in common: right before something good happens, there’s a quick fight-or-flight moment where you want to back out. It shows up before events, exercise, eating well, time in community, church, Bible reading or getting to know someone. Since then, he has asked lots of people about it, and every single one said, “Oh yeah. All the time.” It’s completely normal. We just don’t talk about it.
Discomfort Is a Sign of Growth
The things that make us tense are usually the things that stretch us. Getting out of bed to work out is one level of challenge. Committing a whole weekend to examining your heart, mind and soul with other men is another. Choosing comfort, like a block of cheese and college football, rarely comes with that tension; it’s an easy drift. That raises a hard question: if your days rarely include this kind of tension, are you drifting toward laziness or apathy instead of growing?
What Gets Us Over the Line
Chris breaks the motivation into two kinds. Exterior motivations include people you don’t want to let down, a friend who will be there, and yes, bacon. The interior motivation is the bigger one: do you believe in it? Chris pushes through on podcast days because he believes the conversations benefit him, Mike, their friendship, their families and listeners who have been encouraged. In the life of a believer, the Holy Spirit is often the one nudging us toward what is good for us.
We Do What We Value
Mike’s honest conclusion is that if he doesn’t follow through, at the end of the day he didn’t believe it was important enough. If you stay home and drift, it’s because that’s what you valued more in that moment. That doesn’t make the challenge any easier, but it is clarifying. The things worth pushing through for stretch and better us, and for Christians, they make us more like Jesus. And when we do push through, we rarely, if ever, regret it.
Start With an Inventory
Nobody flips a switch overnight. Chris suggests writing out two lists: the things that are important to you, and the things you’re living like are important to you. Do they match? If not, pick one thing and start there. Chances are, you’ve already thought of the tension you need to push through. Talk about it with a friend, and you’ll likely be encouraged to hear they feel it too.
Lighten the Load
Following up on an earlier challenge to trim their to-do lists, Mike has been letting go of tasks he kept snoozing. If he’s been snoozing something that long, it probably isn’t important, and if it is, it’ll find its way back. It has felt incredibly freeing. Chris has cut back on TV and sports, and he has found clearer thinking and more time. Sometimes the tension comes from having too much on our plates, so ask whether you really have to do it all. And, like Chris, you might be surprised how often you’re glad you went.
Scriptures From This Episode
Also referenced: no verse is quoted in this conversation, but it touches on self-control (which they’ve been studying in the book of James), the Holy Spirit prompting us toward what is good, and becoming more like Jesus.
Go deeper: Being Comfortable With The Uncomfortable · Finding Comfort In Discomfort · Persevering Through Commitments · Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control · Proverbs 12-15: Desire, Diligence and Discipline · Scripture on Priorities · Scripture on Perseverance
Full Transcript, Not Quite There, Episode 62: Pushing Through Discomfort
Mike: But you always have this moment right before something happens, where there’s a tension, and you’re like, “You know what? I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m just going to back out.”
Mike: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, America! NQT Studios, late October 2025. The wind is howling. The weather is changing. Chris Howard here in the studio. Co-host Chris.
Chris: Yes.
Mike: Say hello to America.
Chris: Hey, America and world.
Mike: We are 60-plus episodes into our podcast. Who would have thought? I think the average podcast has one episode, actually.
Chris: There are a lot of one-ers out there, right?
Mike: A lot out there with one. We are 60-plus. We’re coming in hot. Great conversation today. I’m pumped. I have a lot of energy. You seem to not.
Chris: I am full of energy. It’s just contained.
Mike: Oh, you’re holding it in. I tell you what: self-control.
Chris: Yeah. That’s what we’ve been working on in James.
Mike: That’s the book of James, for those of you thinking…
Chris: Yeah, not just my friend James.
Mike: The book in the Bible has been helping me out. New Testament.
Chris: Who would have thought, Mike, that over a manly meal of salads, when we talked about doing this podcast, we would be 60 in?
Mike: Did you know someone told me that Salata closed down because of us?
Chris: I don’t believe this. Do you know if Salata closed down? I don’t know.
Mike: There’s no way. There’s no way. Let’s look this up. Did Salata close? Okay.
Chris: I thought you were talking to me. All right. So, hockey season is upon us.
Mike: The location did close. All of our hopes and dreams. Everything you were about to share: it actually closed.
Chris: Well, if we ever do a “where did this begin” episode, forget about it, because it’s going to be something else. I’m walking in, and it’s going to be a nail place. It’s going to be a hair salon.
Mike: No, I cannot believe it closed. Sorry about that, bud. I’m sad. Were you going to say something in the world of hockey?
Chris: Oh no, I was just going to take people through some hockey while you were looking up Salata.
Mike: Oh, I thought you were a Dallas Stars fan.
Chris: I am, but it’s like four games into the season.
Mike: How many games are in a season?
Chris: They already beat Colorado, so we can talk about that. Winnipeg too.
Mike: So, speaking of small talk, do you think people like it when we do our version of quick small talk before we get to the episode?
Chris: No, I shouldn’t, because I’m not a very big small talker.
Mike: So you wouldn’t classify this as small talk?
Chris: I guess so.
Mike: Oh, wait a minute. Small talk with a stranger.
Chris: I think it’s small talk with a stranger. Maybe an uncomfortable kind of scenario where you don’t know people, like an elevator. Sometimes I don’t like to talk to people in elevators to begin with. But if it’s at a gathering, or you’re meeting somebody for the first time…
Mike: It feels awkward.
Chris: It just does.
Mike: So what do you do? Is it, “How’s that weather out there?” What are a couple of your default lines, when you’ve got nothing and you’re just going to say something?
Chris: Usually it goes to, “How long have you been here?” or “Have you lived here your whole life?”
Mike: You ask someone where they’ve lived the moment you meet them? That’s kind of personal.
Chris: Well, it can be. Or what do they do? Things like that. But I’m not saying that I like it.
Mike: I have a hard time with it. I think it’s because it feels fake to me. But you know what? If I’m genuinely curious and actually want to hear their answer by asking them those questions, I’m better with it. I think it’s when I feel like the whole thing is being forced.
Chris: It might be your wife is talking to somebody else, and you’re kind of left meeting the guy in that relationship, and you’re kind of stuck with each other.
Mike: You know what? Also, if you’re at a conference and someone tells you to look at your neighbor… that’s the worst. Because then you’re like, “I wasn’t even going to do this.”
Chris: Were you ever good at that? Or as you’ve gotten older, has it gotten harder to do?
Mike: It really does come down to this: there are times I could be at a Starbucks, getting to know the employees who work there, and in my head I’m thinking, “Okay, I really want to get to know blank.” So when I really want to, even if I’m stirring up the small talk, because I really am interested in the person, I’m much more okay with small talk. So when I’m intentional, I’m good with it. But the run-ins I wasn’t expecting, or the forced awkwardness, at least for me, I don’t like. There are people out there who like it.
Chris: Some people love it. Some people really dominate it. But I think I have a remedy for it.
Mike: What’s that?
Chris: It depends on their sense of humor, but you just say, “Small talk, small talk.” And if they say back to you, “Small talk, small talk,” then you know that you like the person, and you’ll probably get to know the person really well after that.
Mike: I could see someone looking at me like, “What?” And you’re like, “Oh, nothing. Sorry. I was just coughing. I’ll see you later.”
Chris: Maybe we try that on Sunday.
Mike: We just find a stranger and say, “Small talk, small talk, small talk.” You’re running down the hall, chasing someone with small talk. So it’s Wednesday, the day of recording.
Chris: It is.
Mike: This may or may not come out on a Wednesday. I’m noticing sometimes on Wednesday you might be wearing the same shirt when we record. Is that a podcast shirt, or is it a Wednesday shirt?
Chris: You’re talking about my fashion, or lack of?
Mike: Yes. Or just your choice of fashion. Is this your Wednesday shirt?
Chris: This is Wednesday.
Mike: It is a Wednesday shirt.
Chris: We can call this outfit Wednesday.
Mike: Do you have seven hangers in your closet, one for each day of the week?
Chris: No, I actually have different shirts, and not everything’s the same, but this is something I usually wear on Wednesday. I don’t know why that’s happened.
Mike: The other days of the week they’re not normally the same, but your Wednesday shirt is the same.
Chris: I think I just like wearing this on Wednesday for the podcast. It’s got good coverage.
Mike: I have a rotation. I think a lot of people have their weekly rotation, give or take. I’m a T-shirt and…
Chris: You’re T-shirt and shorts all the way.
Mike: T-shirt and shorts. If it’s cold, T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes every day. It’s funny, I was talking about this with someone. I don’t like to think about what I have to wear. I just want to literally throw on clothes and get out the door.
Chris: You don’t care about labels?
Mike: No, no, no. In fact, I probably rebel against those too much. I’m the kind of guy who’s going to wear a “Proud Onion Hater” T-shirt out in public.
Chris: You’re wearing it proudly today.
Mike: I happen to be wearing it right now, since a wonderful friend got me that shirt, because she understood my hatred for onions, as one should have. And so I wear the shirt.
Chris: And you wear it proudly.
Mike: It’s a comfortable shirt.
Chris: Maybe that could become Wednesday.
Mike: Oh, new Wednesday: Proud Onion. Do you think people have checked out of this episode?
Chris: I think they’re thinking about their closet and wondering what their Wednesday is. “Am I wearing the same thing too much?”
Mike: Yeah. So, okay, let me riddle you something. Every week we talk about different stuff, maybe what the Lord’s doing in our lives, or an experience we had with family, friends, neighbors. You know, screaming at random strangers or children or whatever.
Chris: What I like to call Monday.
Mike: That’s what I did on Monday. Oh, wait, wait, wait. Halloween’s coming up. Are you a candy giver-outer, or do you turn the lights off?
Chris: Well, we’ve been going over to a friend’s house, so we usually leave some candy out by the door, and who knows what’s happening. Sometimes the Ring camera picks it up. Somebody grabs too much. They dump it all.
Mike: Maybe they grabbed too much.
Chris: So I don’t think it lasts long, but we go over to a friend’s house.
Mike: Are you doing that this year?
Chris: Yes. We set up out there on the driveway, and kids come by, and…
Mike: You just throw candy at them.
Chris: I try not to throw candy at them. I try to offer candy to them.
Mike: Oh, you try to offer candy to them. They walk by, and you’re like, “Take some candy, children.” Oh, okay. You’re the candy guy. Candy man, candy man.
Chris: That sounds so creepy.
Mike: Oh, wait. Wasn’t that a horror movie? I think it was. Okay. Let’s move on from that.
Chris: So what do you do for Halloween?
Mike: Our neighborhood is actually pretty active on Halloween, which is cool, because we’ve moved around a lot, and neighborhoods are always hit and miss, right? We have a really good chunk of the neighborhood that’s all into it. Every driveway is active. So we walk around with our kids and hit up all the houses. We have a house that makes funnel cakes for everyone, made to order. That’s one of four or five different houses that do things for the kids and for the adults. I don’t understand how our neighborhood is so great at Halloween, but they do it.
Chris: They’re doing it really well. Do you get dressed up?
Mike: No. Our kids will. Sometimes Joelle will do something. It’s the version of a shirt, or a name tag, or a marker on my face.
Chris: A scar. All right. So you kind of keep it simple.
Mike: I used to. When I was younger, I wanted to dress up all the time. I wanted to be a zombie, or a vampire, or a James Bond guy, or a Ninja Turtle guy…
Chris: Superhero guy.
Mike: I don’t know why the dead person was popular for a while. I think it’s because my brother and I could put blood all over each other, blah, blah, blah. All the things. But not anymore. We had good memories trick-or-treating. That was always a fun time. Okay. That was enough small talk. Let’s move on.
Mike: So here’s my thought. I was at a men’s retreat recently. We talked about the men’s retreat on last week’s episode. I was talking with a group of guys, and we all shared something in common. Whether we’re talking about a men’s retreat or other types of events, or I even took it as health things that are good for us, it doesn’t really matter the example, but you always have this moment right before something happens, where there’s a tension, and you’re like, “You know what? I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m just going to back out.” There’s this quick “abort mission” feeling that approaches really fast. It’s like a fight-or-flight emotion. And it’s 50/50, right? We all shared that there are times we go, “You know what? I’m not going to do this. I’m going to bow out.” And there are times you basically push through and do it. And it’s like, why? So I’ve been asking a lot of people since then: do you experience this tension before doing things that are good for you? Whether it’s time in community, exercising, eating well, something church related or Bible related, having a conversation with someone, getting to know someone. And every single person was like, “Oh yeah. Every day.”
Chris: Every day.
Mike: But we’re not talking about that every day. There’s no way people are talking about this every day. So why the tension? And is “push through” the right word?
Chris: Because “push through” is so uncomfortable.
Mike: Very interesting phrase. But I don’t know the other phrase to put there. Give me something else. You’re pushing through, or…
Chris: Commit.
Mike: It’s that fight-or-flight moment. You’re choosing to follow through.
Chris: Follow through. Yeah. That could work.
Mike: You’re pushing through the tension. Cutting the tension like a butter knife.
Chris: In this case, I think those other things apply, but “follow through.” We could just say follow through.
Mike: You don’t want to say “push through”? I’m kind of stuck on “push through.”
Chris: You like “push through”?
Mike: You want to say “follow through.” We can say “follow through.”
Chris: We can say “push follow.”
Mike: Okay. Do you even agree with what I’m saying?
Chris: I do, because I’ve been in that boat.
Mike: Okay. Why is this such a common experience for us?
Chris: Well, usually those things are things we know are probably pretty good for us, or at least things that are going to stretch us. If you’re talking about things related to health, eating well, or going to a men’s retreat that’s supposed to be a deeper spiritual experience, right? Those are things that are probably going to stretch us a little bit.
Mike: You think it makes us uncomfortable?
Chris: I think so.
Mike: So even exercising, when it’s easier to stay in bed, right? I guess there’s something about the challenge. Is that nerves or fear right before the challenge? It’s right at the time you’re either in or out.
Chris: I think it depends on the degree of the challenge, right? If it’s getting out of bed in the morning to go work out, I think that’s not as big of a challenge as committing a whole weekend to going through some spiritual examination of our heart and mind and soul and spirit, and talking about that with other guys. I just don’t think we’re always wired that way. At least as a guy.
Mike: Glad you raised your hand. Chris just raised his hand, so we all know he’s a man. Thank you. Proudly. I guess I could see the different levels of the challenge, but the tension’s there nonetheless.
Chris: Yeah. We want to be comfortable. We want to stay where we’re at. If we have a full weekend to ourselves and we just want to watch some college football, that might be an easy, “You know what, guys? I know I paid $75 for this weekend, but I’m going to stay right here.” Maybe even go the extra mile and not really tell anybody why: “Oh, hey, something came up.” And guess what? We’re not part of that weekend.
Mike: Do you think in those moments you don’t feel that type of tension at all before you choose the comfort? You just easily drift into it?
Chris: I think there’s tension involved with choosing the comfort. Yes. I think there’s some tension there, especially in the life of a believer, if the Holy Spirit is working inside of you, saying, “This is going to be good for you.”
Mike: No, I’m sorry. I meant the other way around. Let me give you a better example. I could go to the men’s retreat, or I could sit at home, eat a block of cheese and watch college football. Like you’re saying, I’m going to feel that tension, that fight or flight, before I go to the retreat. Do you feel that tension before you stay at home with the block of cheese? Or is that just the easy drift?
Chris: I think that’s the easy drift.
Mike: Yeah. Because the more we’re talking about it, you’re making me think: if I go through a lot of days and I don’t experience this type of tension, am I growing and doing new things that are better for me? You’re starting to make me think, if my days are pretty comfortable and I’m not experiencing this tension, is it possible I’m drifting toward, fill in the blank, laziness or apathy, or whatever it is? Something that’s not bettering myself?
Chris: Sure. And I know there have been times when I’ve backed out of things. Gotten right up to the point and then backed out. And then for the rest of the weekend, I thought, “Why did I do that? What am I missing out on?”
Mike: Like a conviction afterwards.
Chris: A conviction afterwards.
Mike: It was wild. It’s funny, I’m literally saying right now that I wasn’t expecting it, although it happens all the time for me, in different circles, with different things I know are good for me. There’s this pre-event or pre-meeting jitters, nervous tension. What was different, which I thought was really cool, is that everyone shared their struggles with it. A hundred percent participation. And seriously, I’ve talked to quite a few people since then, and it’s been a 100% rate of everyone going, “Oh, I feel that all the time.” And it made me want to talk about it, because it made me realize for a fact that there are all these people walking around, but no one’s sharing it. Maybe they feel embarrassed or ashamed, or like they’re the only ones. So my take is, okay, it is very normal to want to back out of things that are good for us, especially at the last minute. And the power of pushing through or following through pays these huge dividends in our lives in healthy ways. We never regret it on the other side.
Chris: So what gets us over that line to actually commit and follow through, or push through?
Mike: Yeah. That was my thought: what makes us at times say yes? I don’t know. I kind of wanted to talk out what does. Because obviously, in an ideal world, you want to do the thing that’s good for you every time. But I don’t know anyone who does that every single time.
Chris: No. Well, let’s break it down. There are either interior or exterior motivations, right? So, exterior motivations. What gets us to say, “You know what? I’m going to do it”?
Mike: If bacon is on a stick dangling in front of me, and if I chase it, I can get it.
Chris: Well, there’s one idea. Another idea is that there are going to be people there that you know and don’t want to let down. But bacon can be a motivator.
Mike: So much more meaningful than mine.
Chris: I’m thinking that outside of bacon, which is great, I love bacon…
Mike: Bacon is fantastic. Thank you. You’re saying bacon many times, and I’m very pleased about this.
Chris: Maybe people are more important than bacon. Maybe a friend, somebody who’s important to you, is planning on being there that weekend and spending some time. And what initially drove you to think about doing it was, “Hey, someone I know is going to be there. That’d be fun.”
Mike: Do you have an example of when you feel this tension? Something in your life? I can think of a few for me, when you kind of approach that line. You know, I work at a church. I have two kids. I’ve been married for how long? 15 years. Thank you. It’ll be 16 years next year, because it’s 15 years this year. When it comes to making time to exercise, sometimes I have a challenge with that, because I want to sleep, and I have to do it early in the morning because of having two kids and the stage of life I’m in. And this could be said of any Christian, or maybe it’s people in ministry, but every Sunday I’ll get those little jitters, maybe on Saturday night. I get them before meeting up with people each week. Events like a men’s retreat, things like that. But it’s like a rhythm, and the older I get, the more it’s like, “Oh, this is normal. Here comes this little battle.” And I do it because I know it’s important. I’m committed to it. And I will tell you, the number of reps I’ve had, knowing it’s going to happen and knowing that experience is normal, helps me identify it pretty quickly. Every week I probably have five to 10 moments like that. That’s not exaggerating. It’s consistent. So I was just curious if you had moments.
Chris: Yeah, I do. And I’ll just use ours: right before we do the podcast.
Mike: Every week you’re like, “Gosh, I don’t know if I want to record this thing.”
Chris: Let me talk a little bit to the reality of that, because not every Wednesday am I feeling on point, prepared, in a state of… boom, roasted.
Mike: Is it because I do sound effects when you’re talking? Because every time I do sound effects, it’s when you’re trying to say something really serious.
Chris: It’s like a monkey.
Mike: Okay. I’ll stop. I really will.
Chris: What were we talking about?
Mike: The times that you have that tension before doing those things.
Chris: I think a lot of it has to do with feeling prepared for something too. Let’s go back to the men’s retreat example. You’re heading into a weekend, and you might feel like, “I have so many other things on my mind, other things I want to think about. I’m not sure if I can just completely push everything aside and do this.” You don’t feel prepared to go and spend a weekend doing those things. That happens to me on some podcast days, where I’m like, “I don’t know if I have anything to say about this. I’ll probably just be silent on the mic while Mike talks the whole time.” That never happens. But there have been times I feel like that’s what’s going to happen if I go, because I just don’t feel ready. But then when we get into an episode, we end up talking, and the preparation didn’t matter one way or another.
Mike: So let’s use the podcast as an example. Before you get in your car, what makes you determined to push through?
Chris: Let’s use the podcast. I believe in what we’re doing here. I believe this is something that benefits not just me, but you, and our friendship. I think our families, most of them, tend to enjoy our episodes too. That in itself is enough to get me out the door. And then to think there’s anybody… and thank you if you are listening to this and encouraged by it. We’ve heard back from some of you that that’s been the case. Then why wouldn’t I go? Why wouldn’t I want to have this time to sit down and talk with you about a topic, whether it’s important or not, whether it’s fun or more serious? We’re given this time, and I feel like we do something decent with it.
Mike: You know, I think you hit the nail on the head for me on…
Chris: Where’s “boom, roasted”?
Mike: Oh, because you said it, I can’t do it. If you give me the cue… I’m not a monkey. It’s got to be this one right here. “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” That’s not the right one. That’s not the right one.
Chris: Read the book.
Mike: Read the book. Okay. Let’s focus here. Let’s focus. So you genuinely just hit the nail on the head for me. You said, “Because I believe in it.” You have made some decision, and we’re not just talking about the podcast, that you believe, in your head and your heart, the blank is important enough. I love that answer, because I think that is the answer for why men, women, anyone, in this fight-or-flight moment you’re going to have, push through. You might have it today. You might have it tomorrow. You’re probably going to have it this week about something in your life. At the end of the day, do you really value it? Is it that important to you? Because these always seem to be things that are going to better you and stretch you. For Christians, they make us more like Jesus. If someone’s not a Christian, it’s probably bettering themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, something like that. But I guess I could then truly make the argument, and I’ll be the first one to own it: if I don’t do it, the fact is I do not believe it is important enough. I mean, the facts are there. I’m not saying it’s not challenging, because I’m with you. I’m in that challenge every week. But if I don’t do it, it’s not important enough. Because if it is important enough in that moment, you will push through. If you value it enough, you’re going to do it.
Chris: I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there.
Mike: You hit the nail on the head.
Chris: No, you hit the nail on the head. Sorry. Another Remember the Titans moment. All right. That’s the interior motive, right? We talked about bacon and friendship as the exterior ones, but that’s the interior one: do you believe it?
Mike: Yeah. I’m probably just answering it as we verbally process it, but that’s got to be it. Because when we talked about drifting into, call it laziness or whatever, sure, you drifted into that, but you’re doing it because you value it more than the other thing. If you lie at home, eat the block of cheese and watch college football, it’s because that is what you want to do. So guess what? You’re going to do it, because that’s what you actually want to do. So it forces me to go, okay, these things I say are important in my life, that are truly priorities: if they truly are, and I truly believe it, I’ll back it up. And when I need to push through, I will. And if I don’t, then I guess that’s my prayer. And maybe that’s the thought for all of us: if we don’t, it’s not important enough to us, if we’re going to be really honest with ourselves.
Chris: I think it’s going to take some work too. It’s not something where you just flip a switch overnight and say, “Okay, I’m going to do everything I know is good for me and everything that’s challenging or hard. All of a sudden I’m motivated for it. Bring on the next weekend.”
Mike: How would you encourage that person, then, on how to get started or move the meter?
Chris: At least take one thing. Just one thing. Maybe even start with a bit of an inventory: what’s important to me? Identify those things. I know this is starting to sound like work, but sometimes it takes some work. Write out, “These are the things that are important to me, and these are the things I’m living like are important to me.” Do they match up? And if not, maybe that’s where you start with that first challenge.
Mike: I think that’s great. I think that is what we all should do. Take stock of what that is. Even talking about it like this, chances are within 30 minutes all of us have thought of one or two things. “Ooh, yeah, I know exactly the tension in my own life that I need to push through on.” It’s probably right there. Sometimes people go, “How do I identify it?” You probably already have. So write it down, or grab a friend and talk about it: “Hey, do you ever experience this type of tension?” And you’re going to be very encouraged to see that friend go, “All the time,” if they’re honest. Again, I haven’t talked to one person who doesn’t go there. So maybe that’s just the thing. My takeaway is: do I really believe in the importance of it, at the end of the day? And of course, do one thing at a time each day, and then slowly but surely grow. I threw out a challenge not too long ago about removing things from our to-do list, and I’ve been following through and slowly but surely removing things, especially the repeatable ones I’ve been snoozing off to the next week. I’ve been trimming the fat on my to-do list. Which, by the way, have you been doing that on yours?
Chris: Maybe not as systematically as you thought.
Mike: We committed to that together, publicly, in front of America.
Chris: I’m having a hard time with follow-through. There have been some changes, I would say. Definitely less time in front of the television, which has been the important one for me at night. And so less sports. That’s been helpful too. I’m not as involved in, or caring as much about, sports, even college football, which was pretty much my go-to. I loved it. I just had to have it on in the background all the time.
Mike: Do you feel like you’ve redeemed some of that time, some of that mental space?
Chris: I think my thinking is a lot clearer. A lot more clarity. I’m thinking through other things to do, rediscovering that I have a yard, wanting to apply effort out there even more.
Mike: And making strides on keto.
Chris: That’s also a part of it. I’ve been enjoying it too. Because one of the easy things to do when you’re watching college football is to eat that block of cheese, to find those things that are not…
Mike: We could have a whole episode on cheese and chips. So much so that we don’t have time for it.
Chris: But as far as removing a lot of things, I wouldn’t say I’ve removed a lot, but it does seem like big things to me. The important thing is I’m seeing some changes, some headway there.
Mike: That’s great. Some follow-through. That’s great. Some commitment.
Chris: How’s it going for you?
Mike: I’m letting a lot more things go. A lot of things I’ve been snoozing for a while. The challenge kind of helped me take a hard look and go, “If I’m snoozing this long, they’re not that important.” And if they are that important, even if I take them off, they’ll find their way back. So it has actually felt incredibly freeing, because every time I do it, I feel a little more weight off my shoulders. I don’t think I realized that some of the stuff I was snoozing, that was stacking up, was adding a lot of weight. Besides the holiday weight I sometimes add around this time of the year. But no, it’s felt freeing, and I would still recommend it to anyone as you’re thinking through these tensions and pushing through. Sometimes you’re also distracted because you have so much to do. And maybe sometimes you have to ask, “Do I really have to do all those things?” And I think more often than not, the answer is no, if you give it real focus and real thought.
Chris: Yeah. And maybe this has been your situation too, but there have been places where, I know my wife Jessica could tell you, “Chris did not want to go there. He did not want to attend that event.” Maybe I even said some things beforehand, like, “Oh, why do we have to go?” or blah, blah, blah. And then afterward: “Hey, I’m so glad we went. It was a great time. I really enjoyed getting to meet so-and-so.”
Mike: That’s the pushing-through moment right there.
Chris: But left to my own devices, that would have never happened. So there’s one thing I would like to try to push through on, or follow through on, or get better at: small talk.
Mike: Small talk.
Chris: That’s terrible. That’s awful.
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