There're two different ways to improvement and development - pain and firmness of purpose - and these two determine your actions and emotions in the development process.
Chapter One. Pain.
Some of us come to action right after some problem knocks the door of their comfort zone. We neglect preventive means and have quite tough relations with the first signals of coming problems. When the problem arrives it acts like an adrenaline injection no matter whether the pain is physichal or psychological. And with adrenaline moving along the vines we begin to move: take pills, read special literature, make up some new solutions and contact our friends. Pain makes us active and we need it to move on.
For example, you own a small online-shop and have to answer the calls from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., you come home tired as hell and can't concentrate on anything put this task. When you begin to suffer losses because you don't introduce any improvements, you employ a person to answer the calls and devote yourself to some more important job. Pain makes you think of the reasons for failure and find the solution.
Another example: you're an amateur swimmer and you want to improve your results through more active training which results in pain. This pain is your stepping stone to success and you measure the result in the pain you got. Pain. Pain. Pain. If you overdo with it, you can easily become injured and the final goal will turn into a dream - this is the other side of pain. If you get used to it, you can easily fail as the adrenaline injection becomes your drug. As simple as that.
Chapter Two. Aim.
When you use pain-preventive means to achive some result - you belong to the second category. You move before you are exposed to pain as you're afraid of it. You don't want to make a step back to take your time and jump - you would rather move with small but firm steps. Daily painless training, good business-plan drafted months before start-up and influensa-preventive drops - this is what you do.
You don't concentrate on the ways to change your current state but move to the desired picture that you have created in your mind - this is the difference. You're driven by your aim, not by the necessity to change the situation because of the acute pain.
I can't say that one way is better than the other - these both are two sides of one process. People are different and some need the adrenaline injection while others can easily do without it. The main think is to move. As soon as you get tramped in pain and disappoinment - you move and the adrenaline can't make your heart beat. When you give up a small part of your essence die - together with your dreams.
Move.
Anastasia