On determination, decisions, and the discomfort that means you’re still alive
There’s a battle that wages between determination and action.
Determination feels productive. It lets us say, “I’m committed.” But until you actually decide — not intend, not plan — to move, nothing changes.
We all know this, of course.
But around this time of year — twelve days in — determination starts negotiating with comfort. We tell ourselves we’re thinking things through. We’re waiting for alignment. We’re being intentional.
Translation: We’re hoping our resolutions can quietly slip away.
It’s fine. We’ve all done it. But momentum doesn’t grow from comfort. It grows from friction.
Last year, I started doing monthly LinkedIn Live events. I didn’t have to — my podcasts were humming along — but something in me knew I wasn’t stepping out far enough. I wasn’t celebrating my clients’ missions out loud, where their energy could ripple outward.
That tension — the discomfort of visibility I didn’t technically need — was the clue.
I leaned in. By the second month, we had over 200 RSVPs. Not because I had more determination, but because I’d finally made a decision to move.
I see this constantly in my advisory work. One client had a long-running interview podcast — successful, respected, consistent. Then she felt that same tug to evolve. She launched a solo version, pulled back on interviews… and suddenly became an in-demand speaker and a paid interviewer.
That’s the paradox: audiences and clients don’t want more of what’s available. They want what’s alive.
And that’s where the friction really shows up for experienced leaders. They’re surrounded by affirmation — financial, social, spiritual. Everything says,
“You’re doing great.” But something deeper waves them forward. That’s evolution calling — and comfort arguing its case.
If you’re twelve days into the year and already renegotiating your goals, don’t double down on determination. Make one uncomfortable decision.
Let tension talk. It’s not the enemy of your goals. It’s the proof they still matter.
👉 What’s one decision you’ve been negotiating with comfort on?
YES! to selling the truth in its actual size
— Hersh
