Strong & Awake

Season 5, Episode 7 | "It's an act of faith to be willing to stand with others."

Last week was about not outsourcing your agency. This week flips the other direction: the myth that you can go it alone. Dane and Mitch make the case that the individual has to stand first, but standing alone against the whirlwind, the drift, and the pull of comfort is a losing game. You need people. And finding them, especially after you've been burned, takes real courage. If "I don't need anyone" has been your MO, this one's for you.

Never Settle Promo

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:33 Picking Up From Last Week
• 02:22 Individual Before Community
• 07:40 What Are We Actually Up Against
• 11:13 Community Ingredients
• 15:03 Benefits of Belonging
• 18:54 Leading With Vulnerability
• 21:11 Courage After Being Burned
• 26:14 MWOD Invitation

Mentions:

• Ryan Holiday - Author and student of Stoicism. Referenced for his teaching on courage as a cardinal (hinge) virtue that opens up the rest of life.
• Mike Tyson - Boxer. Referenced for the famous line about everyone having a plan until they get punched in the face.
• Steven D Garber - Author and researcher. Referenced for his book The Fabric of Faithfulness and his work on what helps people flourish over the long haul.
• Strong & Awake Season 5, Episode 6 - The prior episode on outsourcing agency. Listen to that one first; this episode builds directly on it.

Anchor Action:

1. Audit Your Lone Wolf Story: Where are you convinced you have to do it alone? Name the area (health, work, faith, fathering) and audit how that has been going against the whirlwind, the drift, and comfort.

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5, Episode 6 | "Committing's great, but until you come up against not wanting to do it at all, not wanting to show up and you show up anyways, that's actually day one."

Everyone wants accountability. What most people actually want is someone else to do the work for them. Dane and Mitch unpack the trap of outsourcing your agency to the perfect guide, program, or community, and why any good guide refuses to rescue you. They dig into how to tell if a structure is serving your growth or letting you off the hook, and what it looks like to show up on the days you don't want to. If you've been shopping for the right system instead of doing the reps, this one is for you.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:28 Learning The Hard Way
• 05:15 Outsourcing Agency Trap
• 06:16 What Good Guides Do
• 06:51 Beware Easy Promises
• 08:36 Why We Seek Frameworks
• 11:48 Spotting Real Coaches
• 19:43 Agency Taking Responsibility
• 26:10 From Knowing to Doing

Mentions:

• Tim Ferriss - Author and podcaster known for life optimization. Referenced as an example of someone who does personal optimization as a full-time pursuit.
• Men and Women of Discomfort (MWOD) - The community Dane and Mitch lead. Referenced as the container where these principles get practiced in real life.

Anchor Actions:

1. Audit Your Guides: Look at the programs, coaches, or communities you're part of. Are you sweating, or are you comfortable? If there's no perspiration, something is off. Name it this week.
2. Show Up When You Don't Want To: Pick your practice and commit to the next session you're most tempted to skip. That's day one. Every session before that was rehearsal.
3. Stop Shopping, Start Repping: Notice where you're looking for the next system instead of doing the one you already have. Close the tabs. Do the work in front of you for seven days straight.

Never Settle Promo

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Bonus Episode | "You're heading into a season that is built to pull you away from the things that are most important to you. The opportunity is for you to wake up."

Most people wait until January to reset. By then they're playing from behind, hungover from three months of accidental living. Dane and Mitch make the case for starting now, before the storm of holidays, colder mornings, and cultural drift pulls you off course. They talk about auditing your behavior instead of your words, why elite performers level up when things get harder, and what it feels like to hit January already three months into the person you want to be.

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:17 Interrupting the Pattern
• 02:02 Why Not Wait for January
• 04:50 Fertile Ground for Change
• 06:48 The Off-Season Advantage
• 07:46 An Unfair Advantage
• 10:55 What Are You Optimizing For
• 12:05 Align Actions With Ideals
• 16:12 Minimal Viable Commitments
• 20:26 Small Daily Becoming
• 23:39 Join MWOD Q4

Mentions:

• Abraham Lincoln - Referenced for reportedly leveling up his practice and rising earlier as demands on him increased.
• Jason Grubb - Seven-time consecutive CrossFit Games Masters Champion. Founder of Bolder Athlete.
• Brad Stulberg - Author of The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World

Anchor Actions:

1. Audit Your Behavior: Stop listening to your words about who you want to be. Look at what you actually did this past week and ask if it lines up with what you say matters. The gap is the alarm bell.
2. Course Correct Now: Pick one small, minimum viable practice you can commit to daily through the fall. Not a resolution. A quiet promise you keep before anyone else notices.
3. Run Toward the Storm: Name the season's biggest pull away from the person you want to be (holidays, dark mornings, parties, food). Decide today how you'll meet it with intention instead of drift.

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Season 5, Episode 5 | "If everything is busy, if everything's a priority, what does that mean? It probably means you don't have clarity of what's a priority and that you're on the string getting pulled."

"I don't have time" is rarely about time. It's about clarity, agency, and the stories we tell ourselves about being busy. Dane and Mitch unpack why we can suddenly find hours when a doctor gives us 90 days, but can't find 20 minutes for the thing we said mattered. They dig into busyness as a badge, as armor, as identity, and what it actually costs us. If you've been running hard and getting nowhere you meant to go, start here.

Never Settle Promo

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:20 The Endless To Do List
• 03:06 The Doctor Visit
• 08:09 Busyness as Identity
• 13:22 The Hidden Costs of Busy
• 18:28 Why Relief Doesn't Last
• 20:25 Microdosing Hard Things
• 24:57 Practical Experiments for Agency
• 31:08 Invitation and Closing

Mentions:

• Brené Brown - Researcher and author. Referenced for her framing of busyness as a badge of honor.
• Jerzy Gregorek - Attributed for his quote: "Hard Choices Easy Life, Easy Choices Hard Life."
• Blaise Pascal - Attributed for his quote: “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Anchor Actions:

1. Run the 90-Day Test: Pick the thing you keep saying you don't have time for. Ask honestly: if a doctor told you your life depended on it in 90 days, would you find the time? If yes, it's not a time problem. It's a clarity problem.
2. Audit Your Busy: This week, catch yourself the next three times you say "I'm slammed" or "I don't have time." Ask what that phrase is actually doing for you. Protection? Importance? Identity? Name it out loud.
3. Cut One String: Look at your calendar and commitments. Find one thing you're doing because you got pulled, not because you chose it. Cut it this week (make a request if necessary) and use that space for something you actually said mattered.

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5, Episode 4 | "The experience of arrival is actually more like, 'I'm coming up to something that feels uncomfortable again.'"

Alex Honnold pushed back when scientists claimed his brain was wired differently. He still feels fear. He's just changed his relationship with it through practice. Dane and Mitch unpack what that means for the rest of us who write off elite performers as genetically gifted and use that story to let ourselves off the hook. The hard thing stays hard. Growth doesn't remove the discomfort, it changes how you relate with it. If you've been waiting to arrive at the version of yourself that finds this easy, this one's for you.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:16 Alex Honnold and Fear
• 03:15 Discounting the Elites
• 08:35 No Such Thing as Arrival
• 12:10 Separating Practice from Performance
• 14:41 Drop the Fantasy
• 23:15 Start Before You Feel Ready

Mentions:

• Alex Honnold - Free solo climber who recently scaled Taipei 101. Referenced for his interview on Diary of a CEO and his pushback on the "wired different" narrative from Free Solo.
• Kobe Bryant - NBA legend. Used as an example of how we discount elite performers by framing their capacity as innate rather than earned.
• Free Solo - Documentary featuring Alex Honnold's climb of El Capitan, including the brain scan sequence discussed in the episode.
• Diary of a CEO - A popular global podcast hosted by British entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett.

Anchor Actions:

1. Drop the Arrival Narrative: Name one area where you've been waiting to "arrive" so the hard part goes away. Write down what you'd actually be doing if you embraced the discomfort in a small way. Then go do that thing this week.
2. Separate Practice from Performance: Pick a skill you care about. Schedule three practice sessions this week (even if it is just a small part of what the performance would entail) where the goal is not to look good but to be bad at something slightly harder than yesterday.
3. Find Your Fear Rep: Identify one thing you've been avoiding because it still feels scary. Do it anyway. The point isn't to stop feeling fear. It's to change your relationship with it.

Never Settle Promo

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5, Episode 3 | "Starting a fire is not the same as sustaining a fire."

Most of us are great at starting. New program, new diet, new commitment, big Monday energy. Then by Thursday the fire's out and we're wondering what's wrong with us. Dane and Mitch unpack the two faces of all-or-nothing: the grand gesture that strokes the ego, and the total abandonment when things get boring. They talk about why rest belongs at the beginning, not the end, and what it actually looks like to build a bed of coals instead of lighting matches all day. If you're tired of the rise-and-fall cycle, start here.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:01 The Fire That Wouldn't Start
• 05:58 Two Faces of All-or-Nothing
• 08:09 What a Strong Start Looks Like
• 09:23 Working From Rest
• 11:11 Finding First Gear
• 12:21 Kindling And Coals Metaphor
• 19:53 Collapse Shame And Humility
• 28:15 Practical Steps And Community

Mentions:

• The Christian rest tradition - Referenced for the idea that rest precedes work rather than following it, a frame available to anyone regardless of faith background.

Anchor Actions:

1. Find First Gear: Pick one area where you keep starting and stopping. Instead of going all-in again, identify the smallest unimpressive action you can repeat daily this week. Boring is the point.
2. Do the Unsexy Ask: When someone you love says "there is one thing," do that thing. Especially if it's the mundane thing you were hoping they wouldn't name. That's where the real all lives.
3. Rest First, Then Work: This week, flip the order. Rest before the hard thing, not after it. Notice what changes when you stop treating exhaustion as the finish line.

Never Settle Promo

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5, Episode 2 | "You don't actually have to fake it till you make it at all. But what you have to do is start."

Fake it till you make it sounds like permission to be inauthentic. It's actually the wrong conversation. Dane and Mitch take apart the phrase and expose what's underneath it: the belief that you need confidence before you begin. You don't. You need to move. Early on, feeling terrible at something is the signal you're in the right place. If you've been waiting to feel ready, competent, or confident before you start, this episode is for you.

Never Settle Promo

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:42 Start Without Faking
• 05:52 Confidence Comes Later
• 08:02 Practice and Reps
• 10:33 Ready Is a Trap
• 14:20 Constraints and Alternatives
• 20:37 Minimal Viable Motion
• 23:45 Are You in Motion?

Mentions:

• Brad Stulberg - Author of "The Practice of Groundedness" and his latest, referenced here as a New York Times bestseller on the way to excellence through the hard way.
• Strong & Awake S05E01 - Prior episode on optionality and what prevents us from starting.

Anchor Actions:

1. Start First: Pick the thing you've been putting off until you feel ready. Do a rep this week. Bad form, low confidence, all of it. The feeling of being terrible at it is the signal you're on the right path.
2. Rewire the Signal: When something feels uncomfortable or hard, stop treating it as a warning to back off. Treat it as confirmation you're in the position that produces growth. Name it out loud when you feel it.
3. Audit Your Reasons: Write down the reasons you haven't started. Ask whether they're actually reasonable or just reasonable-sounding. Most of them are the second thing.

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5, Episode 1 | "If you form yourself to what's easy, you'll look pretty indiscernible from everyone else."

You're forming yourself every day, whether you know it or not. The question is which direction. Dane and Mitch kick off Season 5 with a reframe on what "learning the hard way" actually means: not stumbling through crashes or just punishing yourself, but choosing a way that is hard as a skill worth practicing. They dig into the false promise of optionality, why more choices leave us weaker instead of freer, and what it costs to keep every door open. If you've been drifting while calling it flexibility, start here.

Never Settle Promo

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:22 The Hard Way
• 04:58 Choosing
• 06:24 False Promises Exposed
• 09:19 The Myth of Optionality
• 14:17 AI and Agency
• 17:21 Practice Shapes You
• 23:06 Narrowing

Mentions:

• Hamnet - The play based on Hamlet. Dane references a central moment of one character giving up their life for another.
• Seth Godin - Author and marketer. Referenced for his piece on "the infinite tail."
• Chris Anderson - Author of "The Long Tail." Referenced as the origin of the long tail concept in creative markets.
• CrossFit - Referenced for the phrase "getting comfortable being uncomfortable."

Anchor Actions:

1. Pick One Hard Way: This week, identify one specific area where you've been taking the easy path. Choose the harder route on purpose. Not to prove anything. To practice the skill of choosing.
2. Close a Door: Optionality is quietly making you weaker. Pick one option you've been keeping open "just in case" and close it. Commit to what's left.
3. Refuse the Rescue: When someone offers you an easy out this week (including yourself), or when you're tempted to offer one to a friend, pause. Ask if the hard thing might actually be the gift.

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

Never Settle Promo

Season 5 Trailer

Some ideas run our lives, and we don't pause to question them. "Wait until you're ready." "If it's right, it should be easier." "That's just how you are." They sound like wisdom... Season 5 of Strong and Awake is about the promises the culture repeats until we mistake them for truth, and the harder, truer way underneath them. Join us!

Join Us:

Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

Connect With Us:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)

Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding.

*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Season 4, Episode 8 | "You will get so much further with consistent modest execution."

Everyone says they have a time problem. Most of them don't. Dane and Mitch break down why the overwhelm you feel isn't really about the clock, it's about how you're relating to complexity, comfort, and your own capacity. They walk through time blocking as an honest budgeting exercise, why cramming your to-do list is a form of self-deception, and how the reward for doing well is more complexity, not less. If your days feel reactive and your list keeps growing, this one's for you.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:04 Busy, Overwhelm, and Complexity
• 04:33 Beyond Productivity Hacks
• 07:46 Time Blocking Done Right
• 11:21 Honesty Over Motivation
• 15:08 Purpose of Time Blocking
• 18:59 CREDO
• 25:23 Abstinence to Reveal Truth
• 32:43 Spiritual Disciplines for Change
• 36:17 Final Takeaways and Next Steps

Mentions:

• US Open / Arthur Ashe Stadium: Referenced for the "Pressure is a Privilege" sign and the framing of tension as a signal of growth.
• Sunsama: Daily planning tool Dane uses to pull tasks from calendar and lists into a realistic time-blocked day.
• Time Boss: A (non-affiliated) Time management training aligned with MWOD philosophy and practice, led by a Man of Discomfort, Andrew Hartman.
• Alpha: A Christian organization mentioned in the context of community and spiritual disciplines.

Anchor Actions:

1. Block Tomorrow, Not Next Week: Tonight, pull your task list and your calendar together and time block only tomorrow. Estimate how long each task actually takes and fit it into real hours. You'll see reality faster.

2. Get Curious About Your Complicity: The next time you feel overwhelmed, stop and ask how you're contributing to the complexity. The pathway out usually starts by admitting how you got in.

3. Choose Modest Execution: Cut your to-do list in half this week. Do the fewer things consistently instead of pretending you'll do it all. Consistency compounds, delusion doesn't.

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Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io 🦬

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Disclaimer:

The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content.

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*Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies.

Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor: Never Settle

Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius.

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