It’s dark.
Cold.
Uncomfortable.
Five in the morning on a random Thursday.
For any reasonable person, the warm bed that seems to be calling their name after a less-than-optimal amount of sleep would be enough to get them back in the comforts of their sheets. But I know I have to get up.
Before any doubt can set in, I turn on the lights, splash some water on my face and get dressed. Ten minutes later, I’m already on the tollway, driving to school.
I’m not there early to study for a test or catch up on homework. Instead, some teammates and I roll out ergs to get in an extra workout before the day starts. Everything is quiet except for the gym, where the rhythmic whooshes from machines and the occasional chatter coming from the guys fill up the room. But for the most part, the rest of the campus is still asleep.
A couple of years ago, I realized just how little I was actually getting done every single day. I was wasting most of my free time on meaningless activities like watching movies, scrolling through my phone or playing video games. But when I realized how much time being glued to a screen for hours each day was taking up, I knew I needed to do something to change. I needed to do something that would take me out of my comfort zone.
Now, morning workouts have become a part of my daily routine. But even then, it’s still a challenge that I have to pull myself through. On most days, I don’t want to get up early. The sleep deprivation, the sore muscles, the mental challenge of getting out of bed itself — it would be so much easier to stay under the covers. But getting up even when my body tells me not to — that’s the whole point.
The habit of tackling something difficult daily has carried over into other areas of my life as well. It’s not just about getting faster or stronger. It’s about learning to push through discomfort and committing to something even after motivation fades. It helps to know that I can stick with difficult tasks even when they’re frustrating. It’s helped me build a mental callus that makes what used to seem daunting now register as just another obstacle to work through.
Not everyone’s challenge looks the same. Some people find it in running, lifting or getting in some extra studying. Others might take on a creative project, practice a skill or push themselves in a completely different way. It doesn’t really matter what it is — as long as it’s something that brings you out of your comfort zone. Because the more you force yourself to push through the countless obstacles that life sends your way, the more you’ll be able to endure and the more you’ll be able to accomplish.
So tomorrow morning, when the alarm rings before the sun is up, no matter how tired I am, I’ll get up, slip on my shoes and get to work. Not because it’s easy, but because it isn’t.
I’ve found comfort in being uncomfortable.
