Runners Itch: What Growth Feels Like
Embracing Discomfort as a Sign of Professional and Personal Progress
Runner’s Itch: What Growth Feels Like
Recently, I experienced something I hadn’t felt in nearly a year.
After months of being inactive, I decided it was time to start moving again. My knees were feeling better, my waistline was reminding me that a few extra pounds had found their way into my closet, and I knew it was time to get back out into my neighborhood for a walk.
Feeling ambitious, I added a few short jogging intervals.
Almost immediately, my thighs began to itch.
The sensation was intense enough that I noticed it right away. Later, I learned that what I was experiencing is commonly known as “runner’s itch.” When blood flow increases to muscles and tissues that haven’t been challenged in a while, the body’s response can feel uncomfortable. It is a normal part of returning to activity.
The experience stayed with me long after the walk was over because I realized I was feeling a similar sensation professionally.
For a while, I have worked in the insurance industry, helping individuals and families navigate important decisions. Recently, however, I have begun pursuing additional education in the health insurance field. While it is connected to what I already do, it is also a completely different area with its own regulations, terminology, products, and learning curve.
In other words, I am exercising professional muscles that haven’t been used before.
As professionals, we often celebrate confidence, expertise, and mastery. We rarely talk about what it feels like to be a beginner again.
Yet growth almost always requires us to return to that place.
There is discomfort in asking questions. There is discomfort in not knowing all the answers. There is discomfort in stepping into a room where others have more experience than we do.
But perhaps that discomfort is not a warning sign.
Perhaps it is evidence that growth is taking place.
Too often, we mistake discomfort for failure. We assume that because something feels challenging, we are not qualified or capable. In reality, the opposite may be true. The discomfort may simply be the natural consequence of stretching ourselves beyond what is familiar.
The most influential leaders I have met share a common characteristic: they never stop learning. They understand that expertise is not a destination but a continuous process. They are willing to embrace the temporary discomfort that accompanies growth because they know it leads to greater opportunities to serve others.
My runner’s itch eventually subsided as my body adjusted to movement.
I suspect the same thing will happen as I continue my journey into new areas of professional development.
Growth may not always feel comfortable. It may even feel awkward, uncertain, or challenging.
But sometimes, the very sensation we want to avoid is proof that we are moving forward.
And forward is exactly where growth begins.
