On doing hard things

Sometimes we need to go gently on ourselves. And sometimes we need a challenge.

We’re living progressively safety-netted lives. Hard things, similar to those encountered by our ancient ancestors - as a body of studies show - can protect us from physical + psychological problems (such as diabetes, heart health, managing stress and low mood) and even more fundamental issues like a lack of meaning and purpose.

My regular hard thing is my cold water swimming at Brockwell Lido: if I can handle 4 degrees in a swimsuit I can handle anything! The more we do hard things, the easier work, leading and life become.

What’s your hard thing?