There’s a reason we introduced Kayak Jack during our UnReluctant Day No Cry Zone.
He doesn’t spend much time wondering if the water might be cold, if the current might be too strong, or if someone else has a better kayak.
He has one simple philosophy:
“Look – this reluctance? You’ve got to blast through it.”
That’s exactly what this week’s Best Proof of Living is all about.
Resume a physical activity that you unintentionally stopped. Notice I didn’t say start something new.Most of us already know what helped us feel stronger, healthier, or more alive. The problem usually isn’t ignorance.
It’s interruption.
Life changes.
Schedules get busy.
A vacation comes along.
An injury slows us down.
Work becomes demanding.
Sometimes, it’s complacency.
And before long, what was once part of our identity quietly disappears.
You don’t make a dramatic decision to quit.
You simply…stop.
That’s one of reluctance’s favorite tricks.
It doesn’t always convince you to give up forever.
It just whispers,
“Not today.”
Then tomorrow becomes next week.
Next week becomes next month.
And suddenly it’s been three years since you played tennis, six months since you lifted weights, or five years since you rode your bike.
The activity didn’t fail you.
You drifted away from it.
I’ve experienced this myself; you might recall I wrote about it last week. Recently I walked into the gym and noticed the plyometric boxes sitting against the wall.
Years ago, my trainer insisted I jump on those boxes. I wasn’t a huge fan, but they made me stronger, quicker, and more athletic. After COVID, without really deciding to, I stopped.
Not because box jumps were bad.
Not because I couldn’t do them.
Simply because no one was standing there saying,
“Your turn.”
So I jumped onto the box again.
Was I as good as I used to be?
Not even close.
But here’s what mattered:
I wasn’t comparing myself to the athlete I used to be.
I was congratulating myself for becoming the athlete I was becoming.
That’s an entirely different mindset.
Kayak Jack would approve.
Adventure isn’t about perfection.
Growth isn’t about maintaining some imaginary streak.
It’s about getting back in the kayak after it’s been sitting on shore for too long.
Maybe your activity is walking.
Swimming.
Golf.
Yoga.
Stretching.
Pickleball.
Cycling.
Basketball.
Dancing.
Or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
It doesn’t matter what you choose.
It matters that you choose.
Momentum has an amazing quality.
It returns much faster than you think once you stop negotiating with yourself.
That’s why this week’s challenge is intentionally modest.
Don’t promise yourself you’ll work out every day for the rest of your life.
Just resume.
One workout.
One walk.
One bike ride.
One swim.
One set.
One game.
One beginning.
Because physical activity is about much more than muscles.
It reinforces something even more valuable:
You are still someone who does difficult things.
That’s the identity we’re building on UnReluctant Day.
Not someone waiting for perfect conditions.
Someone who acts.
So channel your inner Kayak Jack this week.
Find that physical activity you’ve unintentionally abandoned.
Dust it off.
Get moving.
And when reluctance tries one more time to keep you on shore, smile and remind yourself:
“Look – this reluctance? I’ve got to blast through it.”
Aspire.
Be Less Reluctant.
Come Upwards with Us™
