I used to be a clone, as in a daily listener of the Jim Rome show.  I can still remember an interview over a decade ago with Richard Machowitz, a former Navy Seal.  Machowicz would assert that taking cold showers daily will help you build mental toughness.  Yeah, I didn’t care much back then about building mental toughness.  And if I did care, I would have found alternate methods than some cold shower.

Times are different.  I love discomfort and thrive on it.  I’ve felt more reward for doing something uncomfortable to help me grow than anything that comes easy.  My motivation to do so was initially found be discovering my love for night scuba diving several years back.  I was terrified to try it for a decade.  I ended up loving it and had that aha moment about discomfort.  That aha moment also reminded me that all the work put into losing 92 pounds and training for marathons was not easy nor comfortable.  Fast forward to today, I’ll try almost any challenge that I feel will have a productive payoff.

I started a “30-day challenge” for several different ambitions over a month ago. I decided to add a cold shower to the mix.

Were they pleasant?  No.  They sucked.  I won’t blow smoke at you and say that they became enjoyable. Maybe more tolerable? No, not really. I estimate at least 5 days where I took a second shower, so all told at least 35 cold showers.

Biggest observation? Time saver. First off, I moved quickly in the shower. The total time was easily cut by 2/3.  I also dried off and put all my clothes on much faster when I felt cold. Once clothed, everything else moved quicker up to the moment of getting into my truck to leave the house.  I was able to get ready for work and leave the house 15 minutes quicker than I could with a hot shower.  This change happened overnight with no build-up.  I started leaving the house much earlier.  The super early birds in the office stared to notice I was in earlier on a more frequent basis.

I didn’t use the new-found time to get in the office extra early every day. I read books before work some mornings, which is something I can’t remember ever doing.  (Book reading has never occurred earlier than my lunch hour on a weekday).  I worked out 15 minutes longer on other mornings.

Fifteen minutes a day for 30 days is the equivalent of 7.5 hours of added productivity per month. Who couldn’t use an extra 7.5 hours per month? Crickets.

I’m also one of those dudes who normally uses the shower to relax a bit under the water to feel refreshed before going to work.  Forget that.  Work is going to be hard.  The difficulty of managing through a day will vary, but there will always be challenges ahead.  Why refresh and relax for that?  There’s no pampering in conquering the day.  I need to be crisp and sharp.  I feel more mentally prepared after a cold shower than I do a warm one.

I took a hot shower this morning to celebrate the end of the 30-day challenge. I ended up leaving 10 minutes later than I planned on. Cold showers return mañana.