Losing and Winning: Comfort or Change
Posted by Orrin Woodward on January 26, 2016
You either hate losing enough to change or you hate change enough to lose. – Orrin Woodward
Why do some people seem to win at whatever they do while most settle for the middle of pack mediocrity? I believe the difference boils down to a person’s hierarchy of needs, namely, comfort or winning. On one hand, if comfort is the most important, then the person will resist all change regardless of whether it’s better because it’s uncomfortable. On the other hand, if winning is more important, then a person will get uncomfortable enough to improve to produce the results he desires. In a nutshell, winners are different because they refuse to settle for good when great is possible.
Change or Comfort?
I recently gave a keynote presentation where I played a classic 1988 Wendy’s advertisement that captured the key difference between those who win and those who simply work. It took less than 30 seconds for some advertising executive to pinpoint why most people don’t change. For many people are comfortable in past victories rather than uncomfortable in present mediocrity. Can my readers identify areas where they are settling for comfortable mediocrity rather than changing into uncomfortable champions? True, winning may not be as easy as some winners make it look, but I can promise you its not as tough as some losers make it sound either. 🙂
Simply put, the toughest part of winning is (dare I say it) getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Every day winners are pushed to get better because your competition never rest. Show me someone who is comfortable with an average scoreboard and I will show you someone who is one a downward slide. In contrast, show me someone who is already winning at the highest levels, but is still uncomfortable, and I will show you someone who is on their way to revolutionizing a their chosen field. LIFE Leadership CEO Chris Brady and I have vowed to stay hungry, honorable, and honorable on our way to helping millions of people escape the Financial Matrix!
I am embedding the Wendy’s ad for your viewing pleasure. What is your takeaway from the video?
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward – Chairman of LIFE Leadership
29 Responses to “Losing and Winning: Comfort or Change”
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Shayna Sunderland said
Great talk Orrin! So blessed to be at the Major this weekend!
Scott Allen said
Of course, many aspects of one’s life become more comfortable after you’ve done some winning. 🙂
Dave Nelson said
We are taught to be happy losing, to accept less, it’s all about emotion rah rah rah: we’ve been lied to. Your example of not getting a promotion at the car co because of all the people ahead of you. We are fooled into thinking We have to wait inline and buy a lottery ticket, and then by some chance we may get to great.
At the job, excelling is not promoted with any specific reward. You might get it and you might not. The employer can change the rules with out increasing the reward so trust is lost. It’s repeated over many years until we learn there is no sense. Then like the Wendy’s commercial it all becomes about the emotion, the friendships.
We find other endeavors to occupy our time like entertainment or hobbies. I think it’s why we start businesses. when you get older if you want something you have to throw caution to the wind and brave hell and high water, turn a blind eye to the pain, and hope it will be worth it, and if it isn’t at least you had had an adventure and didn’t waste your life watching TV.
Elaine Mallios said
My take away is the problems/challenges we face is life make us tougher. I’m getting pretty darn tough!
Kevin Conover said
That commercial is hilarious! My takeaway from the video is that many people would rather have the known then step into the unknown, even when the unknown is amazing! They know what to expect where they are. It reminds me of Laurie’s talk about the prisoners that were given two options. Door one was the firing squad. Door two was unknown. Most people took door one because it was known, even though it meant their death. Behind door two was freedom, but most people were too scared to take a chance on the unknown. I like the part of your blog about being comfortable being uncomfortable! And embracing change as the natural byproduct of PDCA!
Thanks Orrin!
Shloimy Henig said
Hi Orrin, my takeaway of it is, never believe right away what my mind tells me is the right thing to do, think it over, ponder on it, it may be very likely that our minds are playing games with us trying to sell us what we were sold (which most of the times is usually the story), always question yourself why do I think so? And the deeper we dig the more we’ll start seeing the real truth. Thank you Orrin for all you and Laurie and all the leaders for leading us to the truth!
Joalene Thompson said
So true!!! Like you once said.. We need to be willing to give up who we are, to become what we want to be!!! I am doing yay Orrin! My husband Seth and I will be your servant leaders! We have joined in your cause to set 1 million people free! !!
Christine Fleury said
Funny video but all-too-true. Most interesting part to me was how the coreman at the end snubs up his nose and grunts “were YOU ever in the core? I didn’t think so!!” Not only is he unwilling to accept change, but has determined in his mind that those who have “better fruit” in their lives must be idiots, because of course HE is right. Unfortunately, I can’t say we’ve never been so blind, but thankfully, through many many many…many many (too many!) hard lessons, God graciously “redeveloped our ear muscles” and we could finally hear what our mentors had been trying to tell us for years. I see others that we love in the midst of this same journey and only pray they don’t have to go through as many hard knocks as we did before they wake up and listen. Thanks for the great blog and all you do to serve us!
David Cadarette said
Amazing talk the other day Orrin! Our organization is taking “BURGER A”!! Belief has reached down and grabbed a hold of us. We ARE uncomfortable, willing to learn and DO!!!
As the song Bill Lewis came out on stage to says: “DONT BELIEVE ME…..JUST WATCH”!!!
Love you brother! Thanks for staying tuff!!!!!
Phil Cooper said
I Love it!!! I look for where I’m uncomfortable and I go for it! I love the adrenaline rush that comes with breaking out of your comfort zone!(not to mention, the personal growth)
Rob Brown said
I remember that commercial!
Two Navy Seal quotes: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” and “The only easy day was yesterday.”
Each day presents new opportunities and challenges, and with each comes a choice. Do we resist and accept complacency and atrophy, or do we accept the uncertainty, risk, and potential of growth? But it’s all about choice.
You’re awesome!
Chris Miller said
I love that cartoon drawingLOL!! That is how people are living their lives stuck in the matrix. I love the teachings of the Life Leadership products.
Charlotte Feldman said
Of all the past terrific majors, this latest one in Lexington exceeded them all. The energy, the caring and the positivity were over the moon. The most inspiring talks, the most smiles, the most caring actions and all these things make me know this is the business to advance.
(And -I love this part: My credit score is at the top of the chart since I am delaying gratification, keeping a long-term vision and using the power of compounding and carrying no credit card
balance.)
Peggi said
I was inspired by your talk in Kentucky and the commercial reminds me of something I’ve heard you and Chris Brady say before. The comfort zone is actually the familiar zone, even though many times it’s not comfortable at all! Thanks for sharing!
Steve Meixner said
Awesome Weekend!!!!! Great Talk!! Thanks Orrin!!
Steve
Dr. Neera said
I was just speaking with another woman leader in business as we are about to enter major innovation in a global internet start up. Your article reflected our observation: Why are people uncomfortable or unwilling to change? Why are someone people in business ready to innovate and take risks, while others protect their sameness and avoid risk?
In the practice of psychology and behavioral medicine it was, Prochaska’s Theory of Motivation, why are are some people in pre-contemplation, taking no responsibility for change?
I reflect this challenge with change has no socioeconomic limit. You can be a top corporate employee who is afraid of change when put in a new environment. I think also, people don’t like the discomfort of getting into people’s stuff around change. You have to deeply care about someone to slow down to get into the morass of comfort with complacency. And my observation is that is even difficult to do, if they don’t want to change, they will put up walls so communication and reflection is nearly impossible.
People uncomfortable with change, will self-select others uncomfortable with change to put walls around them. Thus the Wendy’s commercial, very funny, but at the end the military guy asked are you in the military? Protection from discomfort and change is to say you’re different, therefore your opinion for change is not valid. That’s why it’s so vital to seek differences of opinion, and integrate feedback.
Schneider PIERRE said
I was inspired.
Thanks Orrin!
Schneider PIERRE said
I like that.
Thanks Orrin!
Bryan Vashus said
It seems to me, that if we could develop an attitude of excellence, an attitude that sees doing everything we do with the utmost excellence as a principle to live by, we would never settle for mediocrity. I’m confronting some specific areas in my life where I’ve settled for mediocrity. And as I look at this in my life, it causes me to lay aside things that I’m really not interested in being excellent. That in turn helps me live my priorities and stop wasting time. I have so far to go, but as I take steps towards excellence, I know I can live a life worth living and glority my God in the process.
Chris LaBlanc said
I don’t want hamburger B but for some reason I just keep eating the freaking thing. Why do I keep choosing the firing squad when I know from people walking across the stage at Major’s and Seminar’s for the last 6 years that the black door is freedom. “I keep telling myself those who stay will be champions.”
Steve Leuquin said
Very funny! I remember that commercial! Reminds me of that dreaded phrase that I heard over and over again from my wrestlers in my first year after taking over a losing program, “That’s not the way we did it before.” Exactly!!!!!
Bart Springer said
The term “invincible ignorance” came to mind when I saw the Wendy’s ad. Some people refuse, even in the face of a preponderance of evidence, that they are wrong. This reminds me of an old sales cartoon where a king is about to go into battle in the 12th century. In the king’s tent is a salesman trying to show the king a machine gun. The king’s aide-de-camp is trying to get him in the tent to see the machine gun but the king says to his aide, “I’m about to fight a battle here. I don’t have time to talk to a salesman.” As Thoreau wrote “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” … they don’t have time to see our Financial Fitness “machine gun.”
Morgan Brooks said
Watching you and Laurie on the side of the stage staring at the new Life Coaches from Haiti is a picture I will never forget. It reminded me of a parent looking from the sidelines to watch their kid grow and develop. Thank you for another picture of motivation! You continue to inspire!
Chris Beaubien said
Orrin, I love how you put that “the toughest part of winning is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.” unfortunately so many people choose the wrong uncomfort. Many times people who stay in their comfort zones find that its actually uncomfortable to be there because its choosing to lose. Kind of as if there is a positive and a negative uncomfort. One is short term growing pains, the other is long term suffering. The sad part is seeing people get comfortable in the uncomfort that has no hope, vs the uncomfort that is hopeful!
In the video after choosing the “loser” burger he asks him if it was good. He says no it was terrible but what memories… Precedes by talking about the sacrifice of having to eat the bad burger and took pride in it..all along the winning hamburger on the table and the choice was his to choose 🙂
Orrin Woodward said
Well said Chris!
John Richardson III said
Orrin, Sir thank you for educating me ! I have been apart of your leadership development system for the last 7 years and not only has it saved my life twice, once saving a wild 20 year old from following a path of destruction (I was terrible!) but a second time when I got cancer at age 24. Thankfully I had been listening and associating for a few years and I had gotten rid of my stinking thinking to the point of having no hope of being cured by oncology doctors(followed their barbaric chemo and radiation regimes to a T almost went to heaven and NO CURE!) but through your system I truly learned and reprogrammed my mind and the way I thought (like a CHAMPION!) and it has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE in me being a VICTIM OF CANCER OR VICTOR !! Thinking was half my cure. Now it hasn’t been all puppies but a strict hollistic regime and no current traditional medicine anything (no more chemo baby !! ) whatsoever !! THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD #1 , a truly faithful first step, and a little disciplined hard work it has been 13 months now since recieving any care from “my” oncologists and I’m very blessed and grateful to say I’m excellent ! Still going purely on faith (PET scans cause cancer) but I ran 10 miles straight about a month ago out of the blue (I hate running) and I continue running, exercising, learning, growing the dream and getting healthier every day!! Life is fantastic !! You helped me discover my sense of purpose THANK YOU BROTHER!! I’m paying it forward (As you told me in southfield when I escaped the first one about 6 years ago) My dad as you know is leading me and a large team of winners and I can’t wait to help people with my story on your stage one day as we go to 1 million people and beyond !! I’ll thank you by my service to others!! GOD BLESS BRO!
Orrin Woodward said
John, what a powerful testimony! 🙂 thank you for sharing! God Bless, Orrin
Calvin K. Lee said
Hi Orrin,
Great post! I really like when you say: “Simply put, the toughest part of winning is (dare I say it) getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Every day winners are pushed to get better because your competition never rest. Show me someone who is comfortable with an average scoreboard and I will show you someone who is one a downward slide.” It reminds me that stepping out of my comfort zone on a regular basis gives me a chance to win.
Jude said
You nailed it Orrin. I like the way you put it by saying: ”
winning may not be as easy as some winners make it look, but I can promise you its not as tough as some losers make it sound either.
Thank you for this great article. I hate the enemy called “Average.