“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” ― Jerzy Gregorek

You recover quickly from colds.

And when you slip, you catch yourself before you fall.

You don’t realize it, but you have all-day-long energy many of your peers don’t and a better baseline mood.

When your friend asks you to run a charity 10K or join their pick-up soccer league, you can say Yes without hesitation.

You sit in the doctor’s waiting room stress-free because you’re there to prevent potential problems, not address existing ones.

And you’re ready for any game your kids can imagine because you’re flexible, strong, and practice floor sitting when you read and watch TV.

You jump on new projects at work because between your exercise routine, meditation practice, and commitment to sleep, you know you can healthily handle the stress.

You can’t relate to the chronic back pain your friends deal with because when you notice something in your body that needs tuning, you do your research and find a solution.

You’re at peace because you say No to as many offers and opportunities as you need to, regardless of how enticing they might be, so that you can spend enough time with the people you love.

Your life is easy because you make hard choices.

You go to bed earlier than you’d like to some nights so you can get enough sleep.

You move your body every day, even on the days it’s cold outside and you don’t feel like it.

You eat, most of the time at least, with your metabolic health in mind, striving to consume sufficient protein and fiber without overeating.

You research the diseases you need to watch out for at your age and preemptively ask your doctor for blood panels, scans, and other screenings to catch disease before it catches you.

You’re mentally tough and, without knowing it, have been training for life’s unexpected challenges. So when obstacles and issues arise, as they inevitably do, you handle them with a sense of calm discipline.

Infusing your days with discomfort has depleted the difficulty of your life.

In the long run, compounded easy choices, despite seeming fun in the moment, create an incredibly hard life filled with challenge, tragedy, and trouble. 

But compounded hard choices, doing the difficult thing you know you should do even when you don’t want to, create a smooth life of possibility, peace, and inner power. A life that’s immeasurably easier and richer than someone who neglects their health. 

Next time you want to give in to the easy option — when your bed’s warm and outside’s cold, when you don’t feel like lacing up for a run or lift, when the thought of turning the shower knob to cold makes you want to curl into a ball — remember how much easier hard choices will make your life. 

What I’ve been up to:

• On Tuesday, I returned home to Toronto after spending an incredible seven weeks in Vietnam and Thailand! On the drive home from the airport, it felt like I was looking at the world through a grey filter. And waking up to darkness on Wednesday morning was downright depressing. The stark change in weather reminded me of the impact northern winters have on your mental state. I think there’s something to living in attunement with the seasons and the rising and falling of the sun, as our ancestors did, if your schedule can allow it.

• Next week, once I’m adjusted to the 12-hour time zone change, I’m starting the Polar Flow marathon training program. In addition to running, I’ll be strength training four times per week. This Sunday’s newsletter, which paid subscribers get full access to, will provide a breakdown of my eight-week training plan for March and April. You can get 10% OFF a paid subscription by signing up before March 1 (tomorrow). If you don’t want to upgrade, that’s okay too — Thursday posts are free for life.

• I’ll be living in Toronto for March and April so if you’re in the area and want to meet up for a walk, run, lift, or coffee, hit reply to this email and let me know!

Photo of the week

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Lots of love,

Jack