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The Benefit of Doing Hard Things

How Creating Resiliency Impacts Long-Term Health

I had just returned from my first Hyrox, a fitness race that combines running and functional exercises. It is designed to test strength and stamina, along with cardiovascular fitness. Although thousands of people do these races every year, I was nervous going into the event as I had no idea what it might be like. I came out of it with newfound confidence and a desire to do more.

Over the last few years, my husband and I have challenged our fitness in different ways. We have done a Spartan Race and a 12-mile Ruck Challenge, we climbed Mount Kenya, and now we’ve completed a Hyrox as a team. Each of these challenges have given us tangible ways to gauge our fitness journey. Moreso, however, we have gained confidence, mental strength and camaraderie.
 

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

In “The Comfort Crisis,” Michael Easter talks about the importance of getting out of our comfort zones.  Our lives become focused around what’s easy. Technology allows us to do almost everything from the quiet of our homes—our phones have taken the place of in-person socialization, shopping, food preparation, you name it.  We can work from home in our pajamas with email and Zoom and chats.  We can interact with “friends” on social media without leaving the sofa.

Long ago, life was much harder. Mere survival necessitated you know how to defend yourself and get your own food and work as a team with the others around you. Nowadays, we must seek out hard experiences to mimic our innate need for personal challenge. After all, resilience—both mental and physical—is built by pushing our limits beyond what we think is possible. 
 

Misogi

In comes Misogi. Misogi was initially a Japanese Shinto purification ritual that involved cleansing the body and mind and was often associated with discomfort. This might have consisted of cold water immersion and meditation for days. Nowadays, Misogi has become a physical and mental transformation that includes pushing oneself to the limit to confront fears and doubts. Michael Easter describes this as “a challenging endeavor with a 50/50 chance of success.”

Everyone's Misogi is different and unique. It is very personal. One person might see running a first 5k as their challenge; others might do a weeklong bike trip in Europe. It really does not matter what you do, as long as it is something that is tough for you. When my mother recovered from a spinal cord injury, her Misogi was an event called the "Miracle Mile," which included walking on her own for the last mile of the Las Vegas Marathon along with others who had suffered from strokes, injuries, cardiac events and more. She worked harder to complete that mile than some of the marathon runners!
 

Developing Resiliency 

Doing hard things is important for developing resiliency. Some call this “grit.” Grit entails identifying a goal, developing the skills to pursue that goal and practicing in order to meet the goal. Resiliency is the capacity to adapt and grow despite the challenges you encounter along the way.

There are physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional upsides to doing hard things and accomplishing feats. Physically, you train your body to be able to do the task. It is amazing how much easier it is to justify hard work in the gym or, as in my mother's case in the physical therapy clinic, when you have a concrete goal. Working on overall strength and fitness is great, but imagining yourself fulfilling your goal gives you further motivation to work hard.  

Mentally, tackling something hard provides a sense of accomplishment that can spill over into other areas of your life. When you confront difficult situations, you learn to think critically, adapt and problem-solve.  

Emotionally, we build resiliency when we confront a new situation and overcome obstacles. Conquering a physical obstacle can help us learn to persevere through adversity and build emotional stamina to face the hard times we will inevitably face in life. Doing hard things can help us on our spiritual journey to connect with others and to truly experience life by expanding our world and getting out of our comfort zone.
 

The BHAG

Setting a big goal, or BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) as some might call it, is just as important as we age. Learning new skills and pushing ourselves helps us maintain brain health and improve memory, focus, confidence, and overall cognitive function. Our brains are capable of neuroplasticity even as we age. This is the brain's ability to form new neural connections, and it helps to slow or reverse the cognitive decline that many experience in older age. Being involved in new things helps foster a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and excitement. Connecting with others who are working towards a similar goal can also offer a sense of community that is important in combatting the social isolation many feel in our world today. This can keep us curious and contribute to our sense of vitality.

We all know that exercise and staying active are crucial for our long-term health and fighting off chronic disease. Consistency is one of the hardest parts of this journey. Signing up for an event and setting a date on the calendar can help motivate us to show up day in and day out. It’s even more effective if you sign up with a partner or friend. 

Eagle County is full of people doing amazing things, and many events are held around the valley throughout the year. I encourage you to sign up for something hard. Set a goal and take the steps to meet it. There is no failure, except the lack of trying. Envision meeting your goal and once you do, bask in the growth and resiliency you’ve built from meeting it.