31 Days of Cold Showers

New Years Resolutions...I kind of have a policy against making them. To be honest, I feel like the majority of resolutions people make are made out of shame. I think that is not a healthy basis for a resolution. I believe in long and short term goals - but making  up a ridiculously idealistic list of things to do to turn yourself into a "better you" for 365 days? Meh. I'll pass!

However, this year I made a semi-resolution, a.k.a. a short-term goal.

31 days of cold showers.

Sounds a little crazy, I am aware. Trust me, freezing cold showers by choice are an indication that someone has a genuine streak of crazy in them. Why am I taking 31 days of cold showers? Blame it on TedTalk. If you want the whole story, feel free to watch the talk (Click Here!), but the gist of it is that cold showers make you feel uncomfortable and get out of your comfort zone - doing that by taking cold showers shows that getting out of your comfort zone will not kill you, and hey, you might just learn something.

Me: "GET IN THE WATER."
Me: "NO!"

Day two of freezing cold showers. What have I learned?

Let me tell you that there is nothing at ALL that I am enjoying about the showers. Sometimes, when I have to get up in the morning and don't want to, I have to verbally bully myself into getting up - the same method is being employed.

"Hannah, you get in that shower... Now."

Getting in is possibly the worst part, but having really long, thick hair is no picnic either. I have lost any desire to work out - I can't risk having to shower twice in the same day - it's just not worth it.

Full disclosure: I feel kind of awesome and like I've conquered something after forcing myself to willingly tolerate 15 minutes of freezing cold water. And as much as I hate to admit it, it is actually helping me to think about getting out of my comfort zone.

Sometimes the biggest obstacles are in your mind and aren't actually real - cold showers are one of those obstacles that I can overcome.