A couple weeks ago, I was on a hike in a state park with some old friends. Part of the hike included a small pond with a great dock. All of us walked out on the dock, and continued talking while enjoying the view. It was mid-November and was a really cold day.

One of the guys stripped down and jumped into the pond.

A couple minutes later a couple of the guys followed.

After getting out of the pond and shivering for the next couple minutes, they all felt great; invigorated by the experience.

It’s easy to get comfortable, and resist making a hard decision or a large change. This experience reminded me that it’s possible to do something incredibly uncomfortable or challenging and come out of it just fine, and in most cases much better.

The fears that often keep me from making a hard decision or doing something risky can be easily eliminated by remembering how resilient, creative, and innovative one can be when under pressure.