Discomfort does NOT mean you are doing it wrong

This morning as I was getting ready, I started to think about the folks I spoke to this week on my Fearless Fundraising Crash Course for Board Members.

I was empathizing with how some of them must feel.
Overwhelmed.
Uncomfortable.
Defeated.

I remembered back to when I started fundraising.
I felt many of the same things when I was asked to send letters out to friends and family to ask for money.
And I remember that I was SURE the discomfort meant I was bad at fundraising.
I was SURE it meant I was doing something wrong.
It must, right?
Because some people are great fundraisers! Some people love fundraising! And there is no way THEY feel uncomfortable.
I was convinced.
It had to be about me.

The best news I can give you today is this:
That story is 100% FALSE.

Discomfort shows up when we are pushing our boundaries, when we are being vulnerable, when we are risking rejection, when we are trying something new.

Our discomfort is the voice of our self-critic, telling us to pull back, get small, stay safe, and on and on. Out there, past the discomfort, is an unknown, so why risk it?

But the unknown is also what is FILLED with possibility.

You already know what inaction leads to. Sure, maybe you deal with less rejection when you do nothing, but is rejection really the end of the world? And is your inaction getting you what you WANT?

Probably not.

So why don’t you try this story on and let me know who it feels:
The discomfort, actually, is a GREAT sign. It means you are exactly where you should be. You are doing exactly. the. right. thing.

All great fundraisers feel uncomfortable.
I believe it is actually their ability to sit in and move through their discomfort that MAKES them great.

I aspire to feel uncomfortable multiple times a day, every. damn. day. So then when I DO, I KNOW – I’m doing something big, something meaningful, something powerful.

Where are you avoiding discomfort? And what can you do to dive in? I promise, the FEAR of being uncomfortable is even worse than the discomfort itself.

So, let’s get uncomfortable Fearless Fundraisers! This moment calls for BOLD action, and there is nothing bold about playing small.

Are you ready to GO but don’t know where to start? Book a discovery session to find out how coaching can get you where you want to go!

For more of my favorite fundraising tips and tricks, check out my Resource page! Here, you can find relevant articles, webinars, quizzes, etc. about fundraising in the nonprofit sector. In addition, you can subscribe to What the Fundraising for ongoing conversations about how you can fundamentally change the way you lead and fundraise. And to learn how to raise more from the right funders using the Power Partners Formula, you are always welcome to join one of my free Masterclasses at malloryerickson.com/free.