#5: Do hard things to prove to yourself that you can do it

Snow and Gem Lake - Snoqualmie Pass, WA

One of the very first solo hikes that I did. Got there early, on a beautiful overcast day which made every picture I took look photoshopped.

It was such an amazing and short hike to the first lake, that when I heard the magic words "if you keep going, the views get better", I of course decided I must go further. (This was the first of many times this got me into trouble).

So on I went, very ill prepared for the journey ahead. Borrowed bug spray, ran out of water, ran out of food, yet still kept going until the end. Got to see epic views of an amazing lake with the most pristine reflections I've ever witnessed and took some pictures that are still to this day some of my favorites.

However... ended up completely fed up with the hike after 9-ish miles, with still 2 left to go to get to my car.

Yet.. I learned three very important things that day:

1. I can hike and do far more than I thought I could

2. I'm in love with seeing nature while hiking and appreciate the process to get there

3. You can pretty much complete any hard thing if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other

Think about work and life: Do you ever do hard things just to prove to yourself that you can? Do you push yourself out of your comfort zone?

If not, how will you find your new favorite hobby? How will you know what your limit is if you never get close to it?

Growth happens when we push ourselves.