I’m pedaling my bike up a steep hill in Austin. It’s steeeeep.
I look up as far as I can see–and all I can think about is how I’m going to give up early.
“I can just skip the last part of my ride. I’ve ridden enough. No one will even know.”
I shake my head and keep pedaling, ignoring my thoughts.
I finish the climb, out of breath. It feels like I’m having a heart attack.
I stop and take a deep breath.
A few seconds pass…
I take another breath. I hop back on my bike and start biking again.
That’s suffering.
Pushing through even when your mind is telling you to quit.
And I’ve realized that a big reason I’ve been able to build a few million dollar businesses and get to where I am today is my willingness to practice (and embrace) suffering over long periods of time.
I don’t say that to brag at all. The point I’m trying to make is:
The more you can lean into suffering, the more you will get what you want out of life.
Now, what does professional suffering look like, you ask?
For me, it was:
- Getting sued by a competitor and banned by Facebook on the same day (ouch!)Living on floors or with my family until I was 30 to save money.Making $0k and then $42k respectively with AppSumo for 2 yearsBeing up at 4am doing sales calls and customer support while on vacation in Croatia
In the moment, it felt like getting punched in the gut. But looking back, I’m glad I went through all that suffering–because even though it sucked, it was for something I chose to suffer for.
The truth is, suffering is inevitable. You can’t escape it.
The goal is to find something worth suffering for.
For example, I LOVE promoting things. It’s why I’ve been blogging since 2000 and still do it to this day.
Is it all sunshine and rainbows? Heck no.
The micro is suffering, but the macro is rewarding.
Another example:
Recently with AppSumo, I’ve been frustrated with certain aspects of our business (partners closing, teammates leaving, HR, how our site functions). And my default response is to avoid the suffering and run away. It’s a primal reaction that’s within all of us.
We run toward pleasure and run away from pain.
But what if the pain and suffering are there to help us grow?
The moment where you lean into suffering is where you get the most growth. That’s what I call The Threshold: the place where the suffering improves you.
So — I’m leaning into helping our leadership team identify areas that I believe can be better, and being patient with the changes.
What does leaning into suffering look like for you?
It could be:
- Getting up 30 minutes earlier to start your businessNot watching Netflix at night to create contentGiving up Friday night beers to talk to customersEating in so you can invest it in your company
Now, I’m not a superhuman. As you know, I still have a tendency to avoid suffering (which is only natural).
A few things that have helped me improve at suffering:
1/ Realize that suffering (to an extent) is a good thing.
Suffer now → Success later
2/ Surround yourself with coaches or people who keep it real
You know who I’m talking about… the ones who talk shit to you when they know you can be doing better.
3/ Practice suffering.
Make it a habit.
- Take the stairsWake up early Go to the gym
Put yourself through voluntary suffering so that when involuntary suffering arises, you’re better equipped to handle it.
Rooting for you,
Noah
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