Embrace discomfort

Growing up, one of my favourite movies was The Princess Bride. It's hard to find someone from my generation who hasn’t seen it. A classic film that blends romance, mystery, comedy, and revenge in a way that captivated us all.

There’s a fantastic scene involving a 'battle of wits' between the hero and the villain. The hero pours wine into two cups, secretly adds poison to one, and challenges the villain to choose the safe cup. The catch? Both cups are poisoned. Our hero, having built up an immunity to the poison over several years, drinks with confidence while the villain meets his end. It’s a brilliant twist and a great example of preparation meeting opportunity. You can watch the clip HERE.

There is a Latin phrase for this: Premeditatio malorum or 'the premeditation of evils.' The idea is simple yet profound: by inviting small amounts of discomfort into our lives, we build resilience and prepare for more significant challenges ahead. Think about cold showers as we prepare for a winter swim, athletes training intensely to prepare for the most challenging matches, or the entire concept of vaccines.

Yes yes….but what does any of this have to do with my professional ambitions?

Ok, so here is something we can think about. As creative professionals, we are constantly beholden to the opinion of many. Management, colleagues, customers, even family members can weigh in with their perspective about our latest advertising idea. We always want to believe that our campaign is going to hit the mark, but will it? For sure?

It sounds dire, but it could be worth preparing for the worst case scenario.

What if the product launch fails? What if we miss the mark completely with our best effort? After all, it happens to the best of us (see ‘Crushed’ by Apple). By spending some time thinking about what might go wrong, we can weather the storm if it hits.

1. If we’re pitching a creative idea, can we prepare a second option in the Appendix?

2. If we’re launching a product, can we run the idea by people who publicly dislike our brand? (they’ll tear it to pieces and it’ll force us to have an answer)

3. If we’re planning a campaign budget, can we run a second set of numbers with the budget reduced by 50%? (it happens!)

All of these ideas sound counter-intuitive, time-consuming, and frankly a big negative… but the idea is not to invite the worst, but to prepare for it. Being prepared will give us the best chance to pivot quickly and effectively. Oh, and when we challenge ourselves with these constraints, we force our minds and bodies to adapt, which helps us get creative in finding solutions.

So, what small discomfort can we invite into our lives today to build resilience and reinforce a growth mindset? Maybe it’s a cold shower, or maybe it’s purposefully seeking out a challenging conversation with a colleague before the meeting, so that we’re prepared if they try to sabotage us in front of the boss.

Whatever it is, remember that these small acts of resilience prepare us for whatever comes our way.

Until next time friends, stay resilient!

Carre @ Resilient Marketing Minds

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