There is a common refrain from successful entrepreneurs that has stuck with me recently. It is said that if you keep pushing an idea eventually the world reorganizes itself around you.

“The world is a very malleable place. If you know what you want, and you go for it with maximum energy and drive and passion, the world will often reconfigure itself around you much more quickly and easily than you would think.” —Marc Andreessen

“A big secret is that you can bend the world to your will a surprising percentage of the time—most people don’t even try, and just accept that things are the way that they are.” —Sam Altman

More recently, in one of his podcast episodes, I heard Andrew Huberman describe his process for settling into a period of focused work. He described the process as uncomfortable and that he accepts the 20 minutes of discomfort as part of the process. By accepting this period of discomfort, he allows himself to work through the sensation and get into a flow state.

These two phenomena don't seem to be related. However, it seems clear to me that to get anything meaningful done, one of the—if not the—most important quality is the ability to persist in discomfort for some period of time.