As a collegiate athlete, doing hard things was a given. The alarm would go off at the crack of dawn, signaling the start of a 5 a.m. weight-lifting session. By 11 a.m., while most people were preparing for lunch, I was already deep into shooting practice. And at 4 p.m., when the body craved rest, it was time for another grueling 3-hour practice session that tested every ounce of stamina and mental toughness. Doing hard things was part of the daily grind as a collegiate athlete.

Now, as a retired athlete, I’ve come to appreciate the value of rest, but sometimes that comfort zone starts to feel a bit too cozy. This week, I found an unexpected opportunity to push my limits in a new way.

On my active rest days, I enjoy hitting the local gym for a good stretch and a session in the steam room. For those who might not know, a steam room is far more intense than a sauna. I settled into the steam room at 6:57 a.m., set my alarm for 7:15, and braced myself for what I anticipated would be a challenging 18 minutes.

A few minutes in, the humidity was overwhelming. The air was thick and hard to breathe, and I kept telling myself it had to be nearing 7:15. When I checked the time, I was dismayed to see it was only 7:02. Just five minutes in, and I was already itching to escape. The only things keeping me there were my stubbornness and the promise I’d made to myself.

As the minutes dragged on, my inner dialogue began to falter. The voice in my head was pleading with me to leave, suggesting there was no reason to stay. But then, two girls walked in. Instantly, my inner athlete awoke. I told myself, “Just don’t leave before they do.” It became a silent competition, with me as the only participant.

I started to feel light-headed and should have considered leaving, but instead, I focused on mind over matter. I began counting my breaths: inhaling for 4 seconds, counting "1," exhaling for 4 seconds, and counting "2." My goal was to reach 60 counts before leaving.