In 2015, Thomas Bragg, Ammar Kandil, and Matt Dajer began a Youtube channel focused on seeking discomfort called Yes Theory. Today they have reached 6.3 million subscribers. Throughout the years, they have sought discomfort in many ways from training their bodies to withstand the cold Polish waters without clothes to flying to a foreign country with no wallet, phone, or anyone to help them. Through their videos, they have grown a community that is focused on bettering themselves through seeking discomfort.
Based on the ideas of this channel, I decided to interview three highly motivated people who seek discomfort in their lives and reap the benefits of it to see the common trends within these people that allow them to be successful just like Yes Theory. I interviewed a president of a multi-million dollar company, a small business owner, and a teacher who runs a business on the side and is super health-focused.
The first and most obvious question I asked each individual was, “do you seek discomfort in your life?” Of course, all of them answered yes. They each explained how they go about seeking discomfort. The president of the company seeks discomfort in the fashion of Yes Theory. She puts her mind through mental challenges to seek discomfort. “I want to go to Antarctica. I hate being cold and I want to prove [to myself] I can do it.” The small business owner seeks discomfort by physically pushing his body to the limits and working long hours to have a successful company. “It would be much easier to let some things [in the business] go, but my self-respect and pride keep me seeking discomfort.” Finally, the teacher likes to challenge his viewpoints constantly by watching podcasts that have people with different opinions from his own and physically challenged his body through healthy nutrition and difficult workouts.
Each person had a different “why”. Yes Theory’s motto is to continue to spread their message and impact as many people as possible. The small business owner had a unique perspective on his “why”. When he was younger, he worked for a company where he was getting paid the same as other people who did not put in the same effort or had the same high skill set. “It made me mad that I was getting paid the same as someone who didn’t put in the effort.” That is why he left and started his own company. It is the competition to reach above others to be more successful that fuels his “why”.
Similar to his “why”, the small business owner is motivated by himself. He believes that if you want to be successful, you need to be self-motivated. The others agreed with this statement. The president of the company is also motivated by her religious beliefs and the life of Jesus. The teacher also noted that he is heavily motivated by podcasts he watches and authors he reads.
The last question I asked each person was, “what qualities do you possess that you believe make you highly motivated?” I believe that in order to be successful, there needs to be a level of self-acknowledgment that you are highly motivated. Similarly, Yes Theory values believing in yourself to reach your goals. Each response correlated with the qualities that each of the people reflected throughout this interview. The president of the company has a good ability to sense others' emotions and make sales which helped her company be successful. The small business owner believes that his strong work ethic and natural ability to learn skills cause him to be highly motivated. Lastly, the teacher believes that his willingness to listen and learn makes him highly motivated. “I don’t know everything, but I take time to listen and learn, which is a quality that makes me successful.”
Seeking discomfort is not the easiest thing to do in life. It can lead you to many situations in which you are physically and mentally tested, but it is evident that the people who seek discomfort are the people who succeed in life. In the style of Yes Theory, go out and seek discomfort. You never know where it might take you.