Finding Comfort in the Discomfort of ESG Innovation

I’ve always been a huge baseball fan. I started playing baseball when I was five years old and continued into college. My team of choice is the Atlanta Braves, and my favorite player was and has always been Chipper Jones. I used to dream about becoming the next Chipper Jones, but after several hundred games and a college baseball career, I realized it wasn’t my destiny. 

My baseball career didn’t pan out, but it did teach me a valuable lesson. “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” This phrase consistently came up during my high school and college playing days. In the moment, it usually had to do with some sort of physical exertion, but there were also several instances where it referred to a mental state. It still influences my career today. 

I believe this phrase is applicable no matter what industry you work in, but it may be even more important if you’re working to build a better world

Welcome to the First Inning of the ESG Movement

Recently during a conversation with our Director of Strategic Partnerships and Sustainability Initiatives and Bigger Than Us podcast host Raj Daniels, we were discussing the direction of the renewable energy industry along with other circular economy and sustainability initiatives. He referred to this Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) movement as being in “The first inning of a nine-inning baseball game.”  

Being the huge baseball fan that I am, this statement immediately made sense to me and resonated deeply. He brought to light the fact that a lot has been done and continues to get done every day in this space, but there is still a significant amount of improvement to be made. This analogy put in perspective how much potential and opportunity there is to learn, grow, and do while working in this sector in the coming years. 

Along with the opportunity for growth is the inevitability of challenges and obstacles along the way. That means we must get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

As humans, it’s natural for us to want to stick to what we know or with what feels comfortable.  It gives us a sense of security. It’s difficult to step out of that comfort zone into a world of uncertainty because it makes us uncomfortable. But in this fast-growing world of sustainability, there is going to be a time when you come across an idea or concept that you may be unfamiliar with, a new technology that is yet to be commercially proven, or an obstacle that seems unsurpassable. This is normal and expected. Remember, we’re only in the first inning. 

We’re consistently exposed to changing technologies and processes. The chance to learn or try something new is a daily occurrence. But, naturally, many of us will prefer to stick with the way things have always been done because we are afraid of feeling uncomfortable. This internal struggle can happen in many different aspects of our lives. We must accept the challenge to learn and figure out the issue at hand, or fall back into our bubble of comfort.  

At Nexus PMG, our team of engineers, financial analysts, project managers and developers, drafters, commissioning and start-up technicians, and operational turnaround specialists take pride in our ability to thrive in discomfort. The organizational culture here has a strong belief in the willingness to step out of their comfort zones and away from “the way things have always been done,” to better the world and grow both personally and professionally.  I believe this is a key to an attitude that can drive anyone in their career. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You won’t regret it!

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