Joe Maddon's keyword for 2017 Cubs: 'Uncomfortable'

WASHINGTON - After 108 years of heartbreak, the Chicago Cubs have spent the better part of the last three months celebrating their 2016 World Series title.

They'd like to think that came to a conclusion Monday.

The White House moved up the traditional ceremony to honor the World Series champions so that President Obama, a Chicago native, could fete the team, despite his White Sox fandom.

Obama greets champion Cubs: Sports bring us together

In less than a month, the Cubs will report to Mesa, Ariz. for their first title defense in more than a century.

"You're already there, huh?" manager Joe Maddon quipped when asked about the upcoming season.

After a few laughs from the media, Maddon got serious, saying that he “wants the team to be uncomfortable.”

“A mind once-stretched has a very difficult time going back to its original form. So you get in this moment right here and you want to do it again,” said Maddon.

All-Star first basemen Anthony Rizzo saw the White House visit as the perfect cap to 2016, agreeing that Monday would be the final stop on the Cubs party bus.

While GM Theo Epstein wants to just enjoy the trip and celebrate, he realized the need to look forward to the team’s duty to repeat.

Epstein said the team sees it as their job to try and make it back to the Oval Office next year, and if they’re to do so, Maddon said they’ll rely heavily on pitching and defense.

The usual suspects return for the 2017 run. A loaded-rotation featuring Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey is enough to compete for a title, let alone the off-season addition of Wade Davis to the bullpen.

Dexter Fowler departs center field, leaving 22-year-old Albert Almora Jr. to fill the void. But reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant, along with his pal Rizzo, will again make the lineup punishing.

The bigger task maybe mentally, and emotionally. And that's where Maddon tends to take the reins.

“The moment you get into your comfort zone after having a significant moment in your life," he said Monday, "you’re not wanting to grow. So I really want us to be uncomfortable and to continue on a pattern of growth.”

PHOTOS: Cubs visit Obama's White House