As we approach 2025, many of us will set new resolutions and goals for the year ahead. But what if the true key to growth, both for our families and our sons, isn’t found in comfort and ease, but in discomfort and challenge?
In a world of instant gratification, where everything is just a click away, we’ve come to avoid hardship at all costs. However, it’s precisely through adversity that we develop the qualities that truly shape us: courage, resilience, and integrity. This article explores why 2025 should be the year we choose to embrace discomfort and how doing so will shape stronger, more capable individuals and families.
1. Discomfort Fuels Growth
In today’s world, we’re used to convenience. With a swipe of a screen, we can fulfill nearly any need or desire. However, real growth — both personal and collective — doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens when we push ourselves beyond our limits, when we face difficulty head-on and learn to navigate the challenges that come our way. Discomfort teaches us to adapt, build endurance, and persevere, forging the qualities we most admire.
2. Shared Struggle Strengthens Bonds
One of the most powerful ways to foster growth, both as individuals and as a family, is through shared struggles. Consider the example of the young men and leaders from Trail Life Troop VA-1804, who set out to cross the interior of Iceland on foot. For 10 grueling days, they battled volcanic deserts, glacial rivers, and unpredictable weather.
But it wasn’t the difficulty of the trek alone that transformed them. It was the shared experience — the way they laughed together, encouraged one another, and shouldered each other’s burdens. These types of shared challenges strengthen relationships, create lasting bonds, and teach valuable lessons about teamwork and perseverance.
3. Growth Happens Through Challenge, Not Comfort
The young men from Trail Life Troop VA-1804 didn’t return home stronger because their journey was easy — they returned stronger because it was difficult.
The tough conditions they faced forced them to rely on one another, to push through physical and emotional pain, and to discover reserves of strength they never knew they had. True growth doesn’t happen in comfort; it happens when we confront the tough situations that life throws our way. These experiences build character, humility, and confidence.
4. Family Connections Are Strengthened in Adversity
One of the most beautiful aspects of embracing discomfort is the way it can bring families closer together. Whether it’s a weekend camping trip, a challenging hike, or building something together, it’s the shared struggle that forms deep connections between family members.
It’s in those moments, away from the distractions of daily life, that we find time to connect, learn from one another, and grow together. These shared experiences are often where the strongest family bonds are formed — when everyone is facing the same challenge and working toward the same goal.
5. We Are More Capable Than We Realize
Discomfort is not something to avoid — it’s something to embrace. The discomfort of sore feet after a long hike, the cold chill of a morning spent in a tent, or the fear of crossing a raging river all serve to push us beyond what we think we’re capable of.
These moments stretch us, build our resilience, and reveal our hidden strengths. When we choose to face discomfort, we discover just how capable we truly are. And in doing so, we become more confident, more resilient, and better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way.
What We Can Do in 2025
As we enter 2025, we can choose to make this the year we embrace discomfort and challenge. Start small. Plan one outdoor adventure a month — it could be a family hike, a weekend camping trip, or a hands-on project at home. It doesn’t need to be extreme; the goal is to get out of our comfort zones and experience something new. These shared activities don’t have to be monumental, but they offer the opportunity for growth, connection, and resilience.
2025 can be the year we embrace discomfort, challenge, and growth. By stepping outside our comfort zones, we not only become stronger individually, but we also create stronger families and communities.
When we face challenges together, we learn valuable lessons about perseverance, teamwork, and courage. It’s not about avoiding discomfort; it’s about recognizing that true growth and transformation often come from the toughest experiences.
Let’s make 2025 the year we choose to face discomfort head-on, knowing that in doing so, we will become more capable, more resilient, and more connected.
