League of Wildness,
I think life can be divided into 4 buckets:
- What you could do
- What you should do
- What you can do
- What you want to do
But lately, I’ve been trying to live in the reverse order:
- What I want to do
- What I can do
- What I should do
- What I could do
And what I want to do more than anything is be outside with my family and friends doing things I actually enjoy.
Hiking. Rucking. Backpacking. Climbing. Exploring. Playing outside with my kids.
Honestly, it’s not even discipline at that point.
It’s more like I can’t help myself.
It’s too much fun.
And that excitement is what fuels me to do the hard work.
I’m happy to have my heart pounding and my quads on fire during a Ruck if it means I’m overly prepared for the family backpacking trip where I inevitably end up carrying half the gear.
But here’s the weird part…
I actually enjoy the discomfort.
Because discomfort makes the moments of respite feel infinitely better.
A cold creek feels better after a hot climb.
A warm meal tastes better after a long day outside.
A quiet evening with your family feels better after you’ve earned it.
Life has gotten exponentially easier compared to our not-so-distant ancestors.
But humans still thrive when there is a problem to solve.
A challenge to overcome.
A mountain to climb, literally or figuratively.
So I think part of staying fully alive is voluntarily choosing hard things.
Not because you hate yourself.
But because comfort without contrast starts to feel empty.
Here’s what I’m saying in a nutshell:
If you feel like something is missing in your life, the answer may not be to make life easier.
It may be to make life temporarily harder.
Discomfort is the catalyst for change.
And if you’re looking for a structured physical challenge to help you start, check out the Ruck Strong 90 Day Challenge.
It’s built to help you get stronger, more durable, and more prepared for real life adventure.
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