So, there I was, a city boy from Vancouver, driving a friggin' rent-a-car through waist-deep snow, swerving left and right, nearly going into the hidden ditches on either side of the road, yelling at the top of my lungs "I AM DEVELOPING COURAGE! I AM DEVELOPING COURAGE!"
Sounds kind of nuts - and it was, but that reframe might've saved my life. Now, I'm not suggesting you take off on some near-suicidal mission in order to develop courage. What I'm suggesting is an effective method of getting you to do what you don't want to do... and maybe even enjoy the process.
I call it the "stat sheet" approach, but I've also referred to it as grinding for XP. Basically, if you've ever played an RPG or a video game where you get to distribute stat points, you can call it whatever you want. Mister Miyagi actually did it on purpose with "paint the fence" and "wax on, wax off".
Now, this post assumes you have an MTP. It could be short-term, like Daniel-San, and you just want to survive the next couple of months, or it could be long-term and designed to change the world.
In either case, having that goal... that purpose to your life makes everything easier. "A man with a strong enough why can endure any how"
So, let's say you have a job, and a side-hustle.
The side-hustle is what you love, and the job is what you really, really don't. Here's the cheat code:
You are undoubtedly developing stats you aren't focusing on, and could possibly focus/lean into those stats while you're there. What the heck does that mean, you ask? Well, for your side hustle, are you going to need grit? Determination? Perseverance? Willpower?
Are you going to need courage? Endurance? What about sales skills? Are you ever going to need to force yourself to have energy or passion or excitement when you're burnt out? Are you ever going to need to inspire those around you - some of which who will not want to be inspired?
Were you thinking you were developing skills...?
Or were you just wasting all that experience, dropping all those power-ups, and not leveling up because you didn't happen to be doing your side hustle while you were doing them?
Take this unfortunate fellow with the fear of candles for example. Pain tolerance, courage, listening skills, humility, overcoming adversity, communication skills... fun game, right?
Now, I might hear you saying "yeah, but does it actually work?"
...Yeah. It actually does.
Give it a shot! You're just a brain in a jar anyway. You don't actually know what you're experiencing - you're just imagining it. So why not tell your brain that you're in training? Why not tell your brain that you've paid the sociopath who is your boss to treat you this way for six months so that you can "endure any how"? Look up all of David Goggins' poor clients and the hell he puts them through. They PAY him!