Modern Convenience
Progress has a paradox: the very things that make life easier often make us weaker.
Modern convenience is a marvel: self-driving cars, same-day delivery, and AI that can write emails better than most humans. We’ve engineered struggle out of daily life. And yet, despite all these advancements, burnout is on the rise, mental health is tanking, and physical resilience is at an all-time low.
We weren’t designed for this. Evolution built us to endure (to move, solve problems, and handle adversity). But in a world where everything is effortless, we’ve lost the ability to do hard things. And that loss has consequences: weaker bodies, declining mental endurance and a culture increasingly incapable of handling stress.
Physical Stagnation
A hundred years ago, daily movement wasn’t a choice, it was survival. Nowadays, the average adult sits throughout most of the day. We outsource effort to machines. Our ancestors burned more than 4,000 calories a day just existing. Today, most people struggle to hit 10,000 steps.
The result? Generations suffering from chronic fatigue, poor mobility, and stress levels that are through the roof. When we don’t move, our body interprets it as distress: cortisol rises, energy plummets, and our ability to handle stress erodes.
A simple fix?
Taking the stairs; carrying groceries; walking while at work.
The hard truth?
Our lack of movement is probably making us more tired and stressed. Not the other way around.
Comfort Kills Resilience
Resilience is like a muscle — it grows through challenge. But we have less and less friction in our lives: GPS means we never get lost; google means we never think deeply; food, entertainment and social validation are all available instantly.
But avoiding discomfort makes us worse at handling it when it actually matters.
Consider this: in elite military training, candidates are pushed beyond exhaustion, discomfort, and failure. The goal? To make stress normal, so when real adversity hits, they don’t break. Contrast that with today’s world, where a 30-minute wait in a public service office sends people into a spiral.
Resilience isn’t built by avoiding stress. It’s built by facing it.
Simple Fixes?
Doing one hard thing every day - training in the cold; lifting heavy; or pushing a project past our comfort zone;
Training failure tolerance - taking cold showers; fasting; speaking in front of an audience.
Our Brain Is Being Outsourced
Modern life is a distraction machine. We are constantly switching tasks. We reach for our phones hundreds of times a day. Attention spans have collapsed, and with them, our ability to do deep, meaningful work.
Mental endurance is a competitive advantage. If we can focus while everyone else is distracted, we win, whether in business, relationships, or health.
We can look at high-performers: top athletes, CEOs and artists. Their success isn’t just talent, it’s the ability to sit with discomfort; resist easy distractions; and push through deep work when most people give up.
Simple Fixes?
Cutting dopamine hijacks - no phone in specific parts of the day/week; no mindless scrolling;
Training focus like a muscle - reading long-form content; meditating; doing one thing at a time;
Stopping outsource thinking - before googling something, trying to figure it out by ourselves, for example.
Reclaiming Our Edge
Of course the solution isn’t moving to a cabin in the woods. It’s about choosing controlled discomfort to rebuild resilience, energy, and performance.
Moving more than sitting - our body was built for effort, and we should use it;
Doing something hard daily - strength is a choice and it starts with discomfort;
Training focus - deep work is the ultimate flex in a distracted world;
Delaying gratification - if it’s too easy, it’s probably making us weaker.
Convenience isn’t the enemy. But left unchecked, it erodes what makes us strong.
If we want to perform at our highest level, without burning out, it’s time to step out of the comfort zone and reclaim our edge.
31/03/2025
