How do you know when discomfort is the healthy stretch of growth—and when your own internal guidance is telling you that something simply isn't right for you?

TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS

• 1. Pay attention to your first response—before your brain starts negotiating with it.

Suzie's wedding story is an exaggerated but memorable example: she knew immediately that singing a solo made absolutely no sense for her, yet she talked herself into saying yes because she was flattered, wanted to please her friend, and overrode what she already knew.

• 2. You don't have to make something—or someone—wrong for it to be wrong for you.

The business-association story makes this point beautifully. The person who invited Suzie was gracious, the people were nice, and the setting was lovely. She was still bored and drained. An opportunity can be perfectly good and still not belong in your life.

• 3. Learn the difference between the stretch of growth and the drain of misalignment.

Not every uncomfortable feeling is a stop sign. Meaningful growth can feel scary and expansive at the same time. Misalignment tends to feel heavy—and often comes with the realization, "I already know this isn't right for me, but I'm talking myself into it."

KEY QUOTES / IDEAS

• "We don't have to make another person or an opportunity wrong to recognize it simply isn't right for us."
• "I'm nervous because I'm stepping into a bigger version of myself" versus "I already know this isn't right for me, but I'm talking myself into it."
• "The stretch of growth versus the heavy drain of misalignment."
• "What was my initial response before my brain started manufacturing polite excuses?"
• "Ten seconds of silence could save months of unnecessary dread."
• "When it's hell no, don't go."

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The next time you're considering an invitation, commitment, project, meeting, favor, or opportunity, give yourself 10 quiet seconds before answering.

Then ask:

• 1. What was my initial response before my brain started manufacturing polite excuses?
• 2. Is this the stretch of growth—or the drain of misalignment?
• 3. Am I saying yes because this genuinely fits my goals, or because I want to please someone, avoid disappointing them, or prove that I'm nice?

The goal isn't to avoid discomfort. It's to get better at distinguishing the discomfort that helps you grow from the discomfort that comes from overriding what you already know.

Those three questions come directly from the closing section of the episode.

ABOUT THIS MINI EPISODE

Wake Up Eager Mini Episodes offer short, practical ideas for bringing more energy, awareness, and intention to work and life. This episode was created from Suzie Price's personal experiences and Wake Up Eager notes using an AI-hosted discussion format.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Suzie Price takes listeners "under the hood" of TriMetrix to explore how Acumen reveals the clarity behind the way we understand people, handle reality, navigate systems, see ourselves, understand our roles and envision our future—and why that matters for better decisions, stronger leadership and meaningful development.

TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS

• 1. Behavior is not capability.

DISC helps us understand how someone naturally communicates and behaves, but it does not tell us everything they are capable of doing. A quiet, understated person may have tremendous clarity and judgment under the hood, while someone who appears confident and experienced may have areas that require more effort.

Same driving style does not mean the same horsepower.

• 2. The Acumen graph gives us places to look—not conclusions to make.

Acumen can show where someone has strong clarity, where there may be fuzziness and where they may be leaning toward or away from something. But the assessment does not tell us why.

As Suzie says:

"The graph doesn't tell me why. You do."

Used well, Acumen should make us more curious, not more certain.

• 3. Development starts with awareness—but it doesn't end there.

Acumen is not a verdict. It is a snapshot, and many of the dimensions and personal skills it measures can develop.

Meaningful change requires:

Awareness + Willingness + Tools

The real development happens when someone recognizes an old pattern in a real-life moment and makes a different choice—then practices that choice again and again.

KEY QUOTES

• "Not all the answers. Better questions."
• "Behavior is not capability."
• "Caring about people is not always the same thing as clearly understanding people."
• "The graph doesn't tell me why. You do."
• "Same driving style, different fuel, different engine."
• "Resume is not horsepower."
• "Experience doesn't automatically create clarity, and clarity doesn't automatically create experience."
• "Sometimes development is not about adding capability. Sometimes it's just about trusting and using the capability that is already there."
• "Hiring: we assess, investigate, compare and manage risk. Coaching: we explore, understand, support and develop."
• "The assessment itself isn't the development."
• "Acumen should make us more curious, not more certain."
• "Acumen is not a verdict. It's a snapshot."
• "We need to be more curious than decisive. Not indecisive—curious."

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The next time you find yourself making a quick judgment about someone—They lack confidence. They aren't decisive. They're too focused on people. They don't have enough experience. They should know this by now.—pause.

Ask:

• · What am I seeing on the outside?
• · What might be happening underneath it?
• · Am I confusing behavior with capability?
• · Am I confusing experience with horsepower?
• · Is this a skill or training issue rather than an Acumen issue?
• · Is the person in an environment that fits what motivates them?
• · What question could I ask before deciding what the problem is?

If you're using an Acumen assessment in coaching, remember:

The graph gives you a place to look. The person gives you the story.

And if you're looking at your own results, consider three questions:

What do I see clearly?

Where might there be some fuzziness?

What could I develop that would make life or work easier and more effective?

ABOUT THE HOST

Suzie Price is the founder of Priceless Professional Development and host of the Wake Up Eager Podcast. For more than 20 years, she has helped leaders and organizations use TriMetrix and other assessment tools throughout the employee lifecycle—from hiring and onboarding to coaching, development and leadership—so they can make better people decisions and build high-commitment, low-drama workplaces.

FULL SHOW NOTES