Manufacture Hardship to Level Up Your Life

Life isn’t easy. Nor is it meant to be. Life is supposed to be difficult.

There are challenges and obstacles to overcome. Just when you think you’ve overcome an obstacle, another one is staring you down. And then another obstacle after that. And so on…

There will always be hardship in your life. Don’t run away from it. Embrace it.

Why?

Because overcoming hardship in your life makes you a better person. You become more confident. Stronger. Independent. Capable. Responsible. And happier.

If you don’t have any challenges currently, then manufacture hardship in your life.

Modern society is making you soft

Life is too easy in modern society.

Food is readily available within a few minutes' driving distance. These foods are loaded with calories… far more than foods found in nature. You can find any food that you want at these stores. Fresh fruit and vegetables in season and out of season. Fresh cuts of meat. Any candy or pastry your sweet tooth could desire. And so on.

Entertainment is available 24/7. You can find something that piques your interest with the swipe of your finger. It’s easy to drown yourself in the sea of content available online. Minutes can easily turn to hours online. Before you know it, you’ve wasted all of your free time on pointless entertainment.

And then you repeat this process the next day. And the day after that. Weeks, months, and even years go by before you realize what you’ve done.

The point is, life is too easy for people now. An easy life has benefits such as knowing that you’ll never be without food. But there are some serious consequences.

Modern society is making you weak. You’re too comfortable. It’s easier than ever to give in to your vices.

You get instant pleasure. But it comes at a steep cost.

Instant gratification gives you a little bit of pleasure now for a bigger, negative consequence later.

The ambition killer

When you’re comfortable, you’re complacent. You’re fine with your situation, and so you feel at ease.

There’s no desire. No craving for something better.

If there is a desire or craving, it’s a quiet whisper in your mind. One that is like a pesky fly on a hot summer day. It’s there, but it’s not causing you to do anything. It’s not enough of a bother to care about.

In essence, comfort kills your ambition.

Ambition is that driving force to take action. It’s the determination and motivation to achieve something that you desire. It’s the craving to want something better for yourself.

You need some ambition to accomplish your goals.

Because modern life is so easy, your ambition gets killed. It keeps you stuck where you’re at. You don’t make changes to improve your life. That would be too much effort. You’re fine where you’re at.

All of your basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter, are covered. And more.

Why should you manufacture hardship?

If you want to live your best life, having hardship in your life is a must. If you don’t have any hardships, you need to create some for yourself.

Hardships give your life meaning. They give your actions a purpose. This purpose is to achieve a goal, accomplish a task, improve your quality of life, and so on.

Each goal you achieve builds you up. It gives you the confidence to reach for a bigger goal. Your accomplishment shows you that you can do it… You can accomplish what you set your mind to do. Your ambition increases. And your life becomes more interesting.

You won’t be bored out of your mind all day. You’ll have adventures and stories to tell your friends and family. And people will admire you for what you’ve done.

Manufacture hardship to level up your life.

Embrace delayed gratification. Delay your pleasure now for a bigger, more fulfilling reward in the future.

Ways to manufacture hardship

There are many different ways you can manufacture hardship. Each one provides its own unique challenges and benefits.

Here are some ideas to manufacture hardship in your life. (You’re probably doing some of these already if you’re interested in self-improvement):

Lift heavy weights

Weightlifting is a difficult sport. It challenges your body and mind. Lifting also pushes you to set goals and work towards achieving them. And it challenges you to do a little bit more than the last time you were in the gym. This concept is known as progressive overload. It’s a valuable concept you can apply to any goals you want to set as well.

Take cold showers or ice baths

This is a simple idea that gets you out of your comfort zone. Taking a nice warm shower or bath is cozy. It feels nice to have the hot, steaming water beam down on your body. But try replacing this with cold water. It’ll strengthen your mind. It’ll show you that you can live just fine without the luxury of hot water. And you’ll feel more awake and alert, too!

Give something up

Try going a week, a month, a year, or another specified time without something. If you’re addicted to something, then you’re dependent on it. It’ll break your addictions. So, you’ll finally feel free of these addictions. You won’t suffer without the thing you gave up. In fact, your life will most likely improve.

Create a difficult challenge or goal

Set a goal that seems almost unattainable. Give yourself a short, but realistic timeframe to achieve it. Plan out the steps you’ll need to take. And then take action towards achieving it. If you’re serious about this goal, you’ll rise to the occasion. You’ll put in a little bit more effort and focus than you normally do. And you’ll strengthen your character along the way.

Hardship is the key to improving your life

Life isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be meaningful and fulfilling.

The challenges and obstacles you face shape who you are. They determine the qualities and values that you have. How you respond to these hardships shows you (and others) who you truly are.

Everyone wants to see themselves in a good light. But when hardships (or lack of hardships) arise in their life, their actions tell a different story.

This creates a contradiction within them. And this contradiction haunts them. It creates insecurity, fear, anxiety, depression, and regret… Not a fun way to live.

Instead, live up to the best version of yourself.

The obstacle is the way. You cannot avoid your hardships. You must conquer them.

If there is no hardship, you must create it. If you don’t, you’ll lose your way. Your ambition will be killed, leading you to live a purposeless life. You’ll consume endless entertainment, eat loads of junk food, and give in to other vices, desperately trying to fill a void within you.

Hardships improve both your character and your quality of life.