One thing I miss when we travel is my cold plunge. In The Adventure Truck or an Airbnb, we usually have almost everything we need to carry on as if we were home.

But I can't haul a cold plunge, and finding an Airbnb with that setup is rare.

That doesn't totally stop me—I've filled a bathtub with ice more than once—but it does make cold plunges rare when we're on the road.

And here's the thing.

After just a few plunge-free weeks, you lose your tolerance pretty quickly.

I checked the temperature before getting in the first time after we got home from Mexico.

Forty-one degrees, same as always.

But, damn!

It sure took my breath when I got in. It took about 90 seconds - nearly half the time I stay in - to get my breathing somewhat under control.

If the neighbors had been outside, they surely would have thought I was drowning.

It sucked.

I mean, it always sucks.

But three minutes in freezing cold water isn't why I do it.

It's not like I'm splashing around in there having a good time. I'm not kicked back drinking coffee or watching TikTok videos.

Hell no!

I'm trying to breathe normally and embrace the suck for those three minutes.

And I have to force myself to do it - every time.

Never do I wake up excited about it.

I'm never ready to run out and jump in.

It's a mental battle, the first of each day.

Winning means a giant rush of dopamine and 4-6 hours of feeling fantastic.

Plus, most days, it means I've completed the hardest thing I'll do all day before the sun is even up.

But, still, it is a battle.

Julia is interested in the cold plunge.

She dabbles with it from time to time.

This morning, she said, "I'd like to take a cold plunge, but it's too cold. I can't tolerate it."

Y'all can guess what I said.

"Bullshit."

Because everybody can tolerate it.

If you are human, you can tolerate three minutes in cold water.

It's not a matter of "can you?"

It's a matter of "will you?"

And there lies the problem. Because we often approach hard shit as if we have a choice.

Our inner-bitch loves that approach!

If there's a choice, we can come up with a reason why we're not doing it.

Cold plunge? I can't tolerate it!

Read the book I bought? I can't focus!

Avoid sugar? It's not my fault - it's in EVERYTHING!

Exercise? My knee hurts!

Get 8-9 hours of sleep? Instagram kept me up!

On and on. . .

The trick is to remove the choice.

We are our own bosses, and we get to do what we want, including making rules.

For me, the rule is that I get in the cold water every morning whether I want to (which I never do) or not.

And if that's the rule, then what choice do I have?