People are weird creatures. Well, I can’t speak for you all, but I know that I am wired funky. Case in point: Nothing makes me feel better, and enjoy life more than challenging myself. Any day that I have ground myself to powder before dinner is a good day.
Recognition of this fact gives me the confidence to push my limits and reach my goals.
This past weekend, I had an absolutely great Sunday. Here was my itinerary for the day:
- Started off by building a catapult for my oldest daughter to shoot marshmallows across the house.
- Replaced a rotten fence post. This involved breaking up the old concrete footing and digging out the old post by hand, setting the new post, leveling it, backfilling with concrete, and reattaching the fencing.
- Replaced the garage door opener key pad.
- Smoked a rack of ribs for 4.5 hours on my charcoal smoker (these turned out excellent BTW)
At the end of the day, I was pretty damn worn out. But man, did I feel good. Dinner tasted great and so did the wine that accompanied it.
While I wasn’t looking forward to all the hard work, it seems the hard work itself was the key to really enjoying the day.
Every now and then I have to speak publicly in front of clients or peers, man a booth at a conference, or attend meetings where I know very few people. Without fail, I absolutely dread going to these events.
But a funny thing happens. I feel great afterwards. Now, that is easy to dismiss, as relief that the event is over, but it’s not that simple. I feel great during the event too!
I noticed the same feelings when I played football in high school. A feeling of nausea would overtake me in the moments leading up to kickoff. Anxiety would grip me a full two days in advance of game day. A feeling of nausea would overtake me in the moments leading up to kickoff to the point it was a miracle I didn’t vomit right there in the middle of the field.
But the second I delivered or received the first hit of the game, all that disappeared. I settled in and started to have fun. After the game, win or lose, I was buzzing for days. Even though I felt like I had been a pinata at a MLB player’s birthday party.
It’s Almost Like My Subconscious Knows What’s Best for Me.
Doing Hard Things Makes Me Appreciate What I Have
When I start to take things for granted and feel down on my luck, there are few better remedies that doing something physically challenging. After a full day of shoveling mulch or clearing snow from the driveway, I realize just how awesome it is to get a shower and enjoy my cozy climate controlled house. After a long bike ride, I renew my appreciation for my car.
This applies literally everywhere… Bored with your meal options? After a hard day’ of carpentry work, I guarantee you that whatever you scrounge up will taste delicious. Stuck in a craft beer rut? Split firewood for a couple hours and Natty Lite will taste as good as Heady Topper! Sick of your cubicle job? Spend a day outside working in frigid conditions. You will hug your office chair the next day.
You invest the time and labor and get paid gratitude as a dividend.
The Concept is Simple… But It’s Not Easy
Time after time I fail to recognize the opportunities that challenging myself can offer. Too often am I discouraged when I am not immediately rewarded with positive results or gratification. A perfect example for me is when I am trying a new diet or exercise plan. After reflecting on my past experiences, I should know better.
The key is to consistently push back against laziness and anxiousness. To maintain focus on the process as opposed to the results. Incremental gains accrue and will lead to bigger and better things.
Typing 100 words a day (just a few sentences) gives you a blog post’s worth of content each week. Keep that up for a year and you have a book! Lose a half pound a week and you’ve dropped 26 pounds in a year! What would that look like? What if you stacked 2 years?!
Just. Keep. Going.
I Need to Endeavor to Lean In
An aircraft carrier has to turn into the wind to launch it’s planes, salmon have to swim upstream to lay their eggs, sea turtles have have to risk being eaten by predators on the beach to reach the safety of the sea. So too must we all face the forces of resistance to grow and improve. Recognizing the benefits associated with these moments, I need to use the feeling of dread as a compass needle pointing north.
As an example, being healthy and fit is a goal of mine. One that has been hit and (mostly) miss this year.
Specifically, I need to recognize that the feeling of hunger represents that I am making progress towards losing weight… and not turn around and stuff myself silly. People have gone months without eating and have been fine, what’s a few hours? Further, I need to understand that when I start making excuses not to work out, (I’m too tired, sore, cold, etc.) that it means I need to work out more than ever. My future self will thank me.
Defeat Inertia and Unlock the Power of Momentum
Without a doubt, the hardest thing to do is to start. We get comfortable in our current situation (warm bed, cozy couch, steady salary, sugary foods) and look for any excuse to remain there (it’s too cold, I’m too tired, it’s too risky, I’ll be hungry).
When you shove back against these excuses, you gain Momentum as a powerful ally. It’s much easier to eat healthy day 2 and 3 than it is on day 1. Once you’ve biked that first mile, the next 10 are much easier and enjoyable. Once you are in the gym it’s easy to extend your workout. It’s a lot easier to finish raking half a yard, than staring at a whole yard strewn with leaves.
Before you know it your mind starts making up excuses to KEEP GOING. (I’m already here, how much harder would one more lap be?, I’ll be too full if I eat all that).
So the next time I encounter the internal winds of resistance, I hope I will turn to face them.
My Favorite Ways to Suffer
The number of ways to challenge yourself is limitless. Below is short list of the ones I particularly enjoy.
- Walks in the cold, snow, or excessive heat
- Sleeping in a tent in the cold
- Hiking up a mountain
- Freezing my ass off in a deer stand
- Yard work
- Remodeling projects
- Splitting firewood
- Busting up concrete
- Cold Showers
- Long Bike Rides
What are your favorite ways to punish yourself?