"Yes it’s painful, but the trick is to make that mental shift. To realize that the pain isn’t something awful to be postponed and avoided, but a signal that you

"Yes it’s painful, but the trick is to make that mental shift. To realize that the pain isn’t something awful to be postponed and avoided, but a signal that you’re getting stronger — something to savor and enjoy. It’s what makes you better." In my experience with startups and cycling there are different levels of pain. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index) Once you realize what level you are experiencing you can get to know your body and learn to push it through the pain. This summer I did a 150 bike ride that ended on a climb, it was intensely painful mentally and physically, but I was able to push my pain because I knew from previous rides that it was a false boundary. My body still had fuel and strength to do the last 15 miles even though I was exhausted. The same goes for startups, the mostly mental pain is a signal that we are pushing our limits. If we do it gently we can expand our understanding and knowledge of the subject. It is in the quitting when we hit the pain wall where we fail, push through it and the downhill on the other side will be joyous!