A minute passes. I’m still standing in place, my mind wandering. I feel the cold water on my toes – I’ve gotten used to that by now. I’m not just not quite ready to step in.

I know I will. I also know I can turn the water off (or to warm) and stop this cold water craziness.

I don’t want to, though – I’m hooked.

Today is the 523rd day in a row that I’ve taken a cold shower (it’s a tiny habit I recommend). It’s still tough. I still entertain the possibility of not doing it.

While I have grown to look forward to it, I can’t say I enjoy it – especially that first moment, stepping in to the water.

Why do it, then?

There are good reasons to take cold showers. There are numerous health benefits and perhaps even some financial ones (money saved on hot water?).

Those aren’t what do it for me, though. There are plenty of things that I know are good to do but still don’t.

A cold shower is a choice I am making, every day, to do a hard thing.

Many of the things in life that are worth doing are hard. Taking a cold shower reminds me that I can do the hard things, whether I feel like it or enjoy it in the moment or not.

I’ve had difficult days. There are days when that reminder has been exactly what I’ve needed. “Jonathan, you take cold showers, you do hard things, you’re going to be just fine.”

And then, it’s done.

I feel great afterwards. I always do. I feel great physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I’m encouraged and reminded that hard things are worth doing.

That’s why I keep taking cold showers.