Every day we have a choice: we can push past our limitations or sink further into our comfort zone.

Personally, I love my comfort zone. It’s called “comfort” for a reason – there is no stress or struggle here. I don’t have to challenge myself at all. Instead of writing a few paragraphs or studying up on something I don’t understand, I can watch a movie in joyful neglect of all the things I want to improve at. It is relaxing because I don’t actually do anything.

As someone who has experience with this, I don’t recommend spending a month doing nothing but gaming or binging Netflix. You might feel good about it for the first few days, but eventually you’ll have to face a comfort zone reckoning.

To be fair, we need days in which we do nothing. Deliberate rest is an important mental health practice that has its place in a well-balanced life. Speaking from experience, though, it is far too easy to let those rest days pile up.

If you prefer to spend your time doing what’s comfortable, then more power to you. We have one life and we should live it in whatever way we see fit. But if you want more from your life, then you’ve got to put more into it. The first and best step is to make a habit out of leaving your comfort zone to do difficult things.

I find writing difficult, and so I’m making more of an effort to do it. I’m writing this in my car while my wife is in the store. I could be watching YouTube or mindlessly scrolling Facebook, which, sure, would be fun for a while. Ultimately, though, it would be mind-numbing. So instead, I’m doing something I could easily talk myself out of and I’m glad I’m not giving up on it.

The plain truth is that it feels good to ditch those comfortable habits and challenge yourself to do new things – especially if those things intimidate you.

We are wired to seek reward through struggle. But we are up against a sea of distractions that flood the brain with the dopamine we are supposed to receive through overcoming adversity. We are faced with a choice between instant and constant gratification or the slow release of feel-good chemicals we get from true, authentic accomplishment. I’m not perfect, but as often as possible, I try to choose the latter.

We are privileged to live in a world in which we must create our own challenges to overcome; it is the life our ancestors had in mind for us as they struggled to survive. Our cozy existence is the result of their endless striving and suffering. So, to feel any sense of satisfaction in this blessing of a life, we must work diligently toward the things we are passionate about.

Don’t be afraid to do some heavy lifting in the service of what you love. Often it is the hardest work that turns out to be the most fulfilling.