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Hypothesis: Doing hard stuff is good for you.

Super scientific supporting arguments to come.

A Couple Assumptions

Assumption #1: We were made to engage real things.
– The outdoors
– Dirt, Rocks, Wood, Plants
– Organic in the real sense of the word, not manufactured
– Sunlight vs. Florescent light
– Natural food vs. processed foods/artificial food
– Face to face interactions
– Engaging our 5 senses

Assumption #2: There is a trade-off for everything.
We talked about this in a previous coaching call, but we must assume there is a trade-off to every decision we make.

According to The National Human Activity Pattern Survey, the average American spends 92% of their life in a artificial environment.

Argument #1: Artificial Eliminates Process

Fast Food vs. Make it Yourself
– Processed Ingredients vs. Fresh
– Drive through Window vs. Grocery Store/Market
– Instant Gratification vs. Time/Energy Preparing
– No process vs. Engaging ingredients, smells, touching, chopping, heating, cooling, stirring…

Gym vs. Outdoor Gym
– Controlled Environment vs. Outdoor Conditions
– Artificial Light vs. Sunlight
– Sights and Smells vs. Sights and Smells
– Monthly Membership vs. Free
– Controlled Experience vs. Adventure, Opportunity for unknown

Social Media vs. Relationship
– Curated feed vs. Messy Everyday life
– Surface level relationship vs. Depth and being known
– Convenient vs. Difficult / Intentional
– No social skills vs. Developing relational skills

Fabricated Character vs. Real Character
– Distressed clothing/tools vs. Actually worn and used
– Buying the right gym clothes/equipment vs. Actually working out and being active
– Buying salvaged furniture vs. restoring a piece of furniture yourself

When we engage the artificial we eliminate process
– We go through the drive through vs. cooking ourself.
– We eliminate the possibility of engaging outdoor conditions in our gym.
– We open an app vs. have lunch with a friend, or at least have a phone call

Process and Goals

We can sometimes pit process against our goals. Some folks see process and goals as mutually exclusive.

Either you engage process and forget about goal setting. Or, focus on your goals and neglect the process.

Process and goals are actually quite interconnected. We develop qualities and skills through process.

The artificial says, I want the end result with none of the work.

The real says, Process is a good thing. I’ll engage the hard work because I know it’s apart of achieving my goals.

Argument #2: What is the fruit of artificial/real in your life?

I’m not saying artificial things are 100% bad, I’m just posing the question. What is the effect of this in my life? Am I happy with the result of this thing in my life?

Hypothesis: Doing hard stuff is good for you.

There’s no replacement for doing the work.

Whether it be creating a work of art. Honing a craft or a skillset. Getting physically fit and in shape. Preparing and cooking your own food. Communicating through a hand written letter. Doing physical labor and working outdoors.

Engaging in the process of real things develops life long qualities, if we so choose.

You Can’t Buy the Life You Want

For me, all of this has been summarized in this thought. You can’t buy the life you want. You may be able to buy things that have been aged or preserved. You may be able to eliminate process through artificial things. But eliminating process eliminates opportunity to develop qualities that may be crucial to your life.

A Few Suggestions to Engage the Real

• If you have a primary digital workspace, try to create a analog workspace that you turn to first as a default.
• Engage something real every day. Step outside / roll the windows down / listen to your surroundings / sweat
• Call people instead of text them. Better yet, have a coffee/lunch
• Are there one or two artificial things in my world that I could do without?