One theme that I was continuously forced to face at Rapport, was stepping out of my comfort zone. I take pride in doing new things, going places I've never been before, challenging myself to not settle, but I never really appreciated why until this week.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is the catalyst for change. You might be asking yourself, "what's wrong with me now, why should I change?" but that phrase in itself is so dangerous. Change isn't supposed to be comfortable, it should challenge you, make you resist or adhere and ultimately allow for growth. When you think good is good enough, you aren't truly doing anything at your full potential.

So challenge yourself, do something you normally wouldn't, make conversation with a stranger, go see a movie by yourself, or do something as easy as speaking with unbroken eye contact when you order your coffee. Take something away from that experience and let yourself grow from it. Do something that makes you uncomfortable, embrace the weirdness, and know next time it won't be as weird. In that moment of diminishing weirdness, know that you have grown.  

My wife and I just got back from a tip to Boise, ID to visit our daughter who goes to college there and catch a Boise State Bronco's football game. On top of an awesome nail-biting win against against a good BYU team to extend their undefeated run, we got to spend some time exploring her new home. We hung out for an afternoon in a small suburb called Hyde Park that looked like a scene from the Gilmore Girls, having ice cream and watching the middle school kids ride home from school laughing and having fun. A group of them were at a table next to us and I heard one of them suggest moving down a few tables so they didn't disturb us and I couldn't hear a single swear word dropped the whole time we were there from that group, seriously?  

When we asked our daughter why she liked being back there so much she thought for a moment and said there were a ton of reasons, but one of the more visible ones is that everyone holds the door for others out there. No matter how long it takes for you to get there, they will always wait for you patiently. I know that seems like a small thing, but maybe a civil society is built of a thousand such small things and with this circus of an election cycle through which we are living, coupled with the lack of civility we seem to be showing to each other in this country, maybe that's a good place to start.

Today's wisdom comes from Seth Godin once again. 

Everything you work on today is an investment for tomorrow, whether that's personally or professionally. All we have is "now" - this second in this very moment, with "later" always lurking just around the corner. Using the "now" to improve and be a better version of yourself for the "later" is imperative. 

The ultimate reward is the result at the end of the "later", and whether we choose to enjoy the process of self-improvement through the ups and downs is another matter entirely (but, I mean, why not enjoy it? Sure, it'll be difficult and challenging along the way, but they say the journey is the reward, right?).

So plant the seeds now. Start creating better habits now. Start treating loved ones better now. Start improving your health now. Start saving the money now. Start challenging yourself to get out of your comfort zone now. Start building your best work habits now. Start acting on those dreams NOW. Your "later" self will thank you for it.